Upcoming
Events
Do you
want to list an event on Onzuka.com?
Contact
Us
(All events on Oahu, unless noted)
2010
February
BJJ Tournament
(tba)
1/30/10
Quest for Champions
(Pankration/Sub Grappling)
(Kalani HS)
2009
12/19/09
MMA at Level 4
(MMA)
(Level 4 RHSC)
12/17/09
Scrap MMA Event
(MMA)
(Pipeline Cafe)
12/5/09
Aloha
State Championship
of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Kaiser H.S. Gym)
12/4/09
Man Up & Stand Up
(Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom)
11/21/09
X-1 LIGHTS OUT
(MMA)
(Kekuaokalani Gym, Kona)
UFC
106
(Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas)
11/14/09
UFC
105
(United Kingdom)
11/8/09
X-1 Scuffle at Schofield
(MMA)
(Tropics, Schofield Barracks)
11/7/09
Mad Skills
(Kickboxing/Triple Threat)
(Waiphu Filcom)
11/6/09
Up & Up
(MMA)
(Kapolei High School)
11/1/09
Boxing
(Palolo District Park Gym)
10/31/09
H.A.P.A.
Hawaii Amateur Pankration Association
Hit-And-Submit
#4
(Pankration)
(Filcom Center, Waipahu)
10/30/09
Niko's MMA Event
(MMA)
(Veterans Hall, Keehi Lagoon)
10/24/09
X-1:
Scuffle on Schofield 2: Homebound Heroes
Press conference, autograph signing & picture taking
(Tropics Rec Center, Schofield Air Force Base, Wahiawa)
UFC
104
(Staples Center, Los Angeles)
10/18/09
NAGA
Hawaii
(BJJ/Sub Grappling)
(Pearl City H.S. Gym)
10/17/09
Just Scrap
(MMA)
(Hilo Civic Auditorium, Hilo)
10/10/09
Man Up & Stand Up
(Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom)
10/3/09
Destiny Unfinished Business
(MMA)
(Waipahu Filcom)
9/19/09
UFC
103
(American Airlines Center, Dallas)
9/16/09
UFC
Fight Night 19
(Cox Convention Center, Oklahoma City)
9/12/09
Hawaiian
Open Championship
of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Kaiser H.S. Gym)
Up & Up
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
8/29/09
MAUI OPEN 2009
Submission Grappling Challenge
(Sub Grappling)
(Maui War Memorial Gym)
Island Assult
(Boxing)
(Blaisdell Arena)
UF1C
102
(Rose Garden, Portland)
8/22/09
Destiny: Maui vs. Oahu
(MMA)
(War Memorial Gym, Maui)
8/15/09
Mad Skills
(Kickboxing & Triple Threat)
(Filcom Center, Waipahu)
8/9/09
WEC
(Las Vegas, NV)
8/8/09
UFC
101: Declaration
(BJ Penn vs. Kenny Florian)
(Wachovia Center, Philadelphia)
8/1/09
Affliction: Trilogy
Fedor vs. Barnett
(Honda Cetner, Anaheim, CA)
7/25/09
X-1
Scuffle On Schofield
(MMA)
(Tropics Recreation Center, Schofield Barracks)
Amateur Boxing at Palolo
(Boxing)
(Palolo Gym)
Gracie Tournament
(Kalaheo H.S. Gym)
**Cancelled**
7/23/09
JUST SCRAP
(MMA)
(Pipeline Cafe)
7/20/09
Dream 10: Welterweight GP Final
(Japan)
7/11/09
UFC
100: Lesnar vs. Mir
(Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas, NV)
7/10/09
Man up and Stand up
(Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom Center)
6/27-28/09
OTM's 2009
Pac Sub
(Gi & No-Gi competition)
(Blaisdell Exhibition Hall)
6/20/09
The
Ultimate Fighter 9:
Team US vs Team UK Finale
6/13/09
Destiny
(MMA)
(Waipahu Filcom)
UFC
99: Comeback
Silva vs. Franklin
(Cologne, Germany)
6/7/09
WEC: Brown vs. Faber 2
(Versus)
6/6/09
Quest for Champions 2009 Tournament
(Sport Pankration, Sub Grappling)
(Kalani HS Gym)
Strikeforce: Lawler vs. Shields
(St. Louis, MO)
6/4/09 - 6/7/09
World
JJ Championships
(BJJ)
(California State University Long Beach, Long Beach, CA)
5/30/09
Event of the Champions
(Triple Threat, Kickboxing, Grappling)
(Elite Auto Group Center)
5/26/09
Dream 9
5/23/09
UFC
98: Evans vs. Machida
(PPV)
5/16/09
KTI's Scrappa Lifestylez
Scrapplers Fest
(BJJ/Submission Grappling)
(Kauai)
5/9/09 - 5/10/09 &
5/16/09 - 5/17/09
Brazilian Nationals JJ Championships
(BJJ)
(Carson, CA)
5/9/09
X-1 Kona
(MMA)
(Kekuaokalani Gym, Kona)
15th Grapplers Quest Las Vegas
(BJJ/Sub Grappling)
(Las Vegas, NV)
5/2/09
Destiny
(MMA)
(Waipahu Filcom)
Uprising MMA
(MMA)
(Maui)
May 2009
Abu Dhabi World Submission Wrestling Championships
(Sub Grappling)
(Tentative)
4/25/09
MMA Madness Water Park Extravaganza
(MMA)
(Hawaiian Waters Adventure Park, Kapolei)
4/18/08
Kingdom
MMA
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
NY
International JJ Championships
(BJJ)
(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
4/11/09
Hawaiian
Championship of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Kaiser High)
X-1: Temple of Boom
(Boxing & MMA)
(Palolo Hongwangi)
4/10/09
HFC: Stand Your Ground XII
(MMA, Kickboxing)
(Dole Cannery Ballroom)
4/4/09 - 4/5/09
NAGA
World Championship
(BJJ/Sub Grappling)
(NJ, Tentative)
3/28/09
Garden Island Cage Match
(MMA)
(Hanapepe Stadium, Hanapepe, Kauai)
3/27/09
- 3/29/09
Pan
Am JJ Championships
(BJJ)
(Carson, CA)
3/27/09
Tiger Muay Thai Competition
(Muay Thai)
(Tiger Muay Thai Gym, Sand Island Road)
3/21/09 - 3/22/09
$30k Grapplers Quest/Fight Expo/Make a Wish Weekend
(BJJ/Sub Grappling)
(Del Mar, CA)
NAGA US Nationals
(BJJ/Sub Grappling)
(Georgia)
3/14/09
Hawaii Amateur Pankration Association: "Hit and Submit"
(Pankration & Muay Thai)
(O-Lounge Night Club, Honolulu)
NAGA Vegas
(BJJ/Sub Grappling)
3/7/09
UFC 96
(PPV)
(Columbus, OH)
Grapplers Quest Beast of the East
(BJJ/Sub Grappling)
(Wildwood, New Jersey)
2/27/09
X-1 World Events
NEW BEGINNING"
(MMA)
(Maui War Memorial Gym, Wailuku, Maui)
2/21/09
Destiny
(MMA)
(Filcom Center, Waipahu)
UFC
95
(PPV)
(London, England)
2/15/09
X1 World Events
Temple of Boom: Fight Night III
(MMA)
(Palolo Hongwanji)
2/8/09
IWFF
Submission Wrestling Tournament
(No-Gi)
(IWFF Academy, Wailuku, Maui)
2/7/09
4th Annual Clint Shelton Memorial
(Boxing)
(Palolo Gym)
Manup and Standup
(Kickboxing)
(Kapolei Rec Center, Kapolei)
UFC Fight Night
(PPV)
(Tampa, FL)
1/31/09
UFC 93 BJ vs GSP
(PPV)
(MGM Grand, Las Vegas, NV)
1/30/09
MMA Event
(MMA)
(Schofield Barracks)
1/24/09
Eddie Bravo Seminar
(BJJ)
1/17/09
UFC
93
(PPV)
(Dublin, Ireland)
1/10/09
MAT ATTACK Jiu-Jitsu & Submission Grappling Tournament
(Sub Wrestling)
(Lihikai School, Kahului, Maui)
1/3/08
Uprising - Maui
(MMA)
(Paukukalo Hawaiian Homes Gym)
Hazardous Warfare - Maui
(MMA)
(Lahaina Civic Center)
|
|
December
2009 News Part 2
|
Casca Grossa Jiu-Jitsu
is now the O2 Martial Arts Academy with 7 days a week training!
We are also offering Kali-Escrima (stick fighting) on Monday
nights with Ian Beltran and Kickboxing Tuesday, Wednesday and
Thursday with Kaleo Kwan, PJ Dean, & Chris Slavens!
Kids Classes are also
available!
Click
here for info!
Take classes from
the Onzuka brothers in a family-like environment! |
 |
Fighters'
Club TV
The Toughest Show
On Teleivision
Tuesdays
at 8:00PM
Olelo Channel 52 on Oahu
Also on Akaku on Maui
Check
out the FCTV website! |
Onzuka.com
Hawaii Underground Forum is Online!
Chris, Mark,
and I wanted to start an official Onzuka.com forum for a while
now. We were searching for the best forum to go with and hit
a gold mine! We have known Kirik, who heads the largest and most
popular forum on the net, The Underground for years.
He
offered us our own forum within the matrix know as MMA.tv. The
three of us will be the moderators with of course FCTV808 being
the lead since he is on there all day anyway!
We
encourage everyone from Hawaii and our many readers around world
to contribute to the Hawaii Underground.
If you
do not have a login, it's simple and fast to get one.
Click here to set up an account.
Don't worry about using Pidgin English in the posting. After
all it is the Hawaii Underground and what is a Hawaii Underground
without some Aloha and some Pidgin?
To
go directly to the Onzuka.com Hawaii Underground Forum
click here!
|
Want
to Advertise on Onzuka.com?
Click here for pricing and more
information!
Short term and long term advertising available.
More than
1 million hits and counting!
|
O2
Martial Arts Academy
Your Complete Martial Arts School!
Click here for pricing and more
information!
O2 Martial Arts features Relson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu taught by Relson
Gracie Black Belts Chris and Mike Onzuka and Shane Agena as well
as a number of brown and purple belts.
We also offer a Boxing and Kickboxing classes with a staff that
is unmatched. Boxing, Kickboxing, and MMA champions Kaleo Kwan
and PJ Dean as well as master boxing instructor Chris Slavens
provide incredibly detailed instruction of the sweet science.
To top it off, Ian Beltran heads our Kali-Escrima classes (Filipino
Stickfighting) who was trained under the legendary Snookie Sanchez.
Just a beginner with no background? Perfect! We teach you from
the ground up!
Experienced martial artist that wants to fine tune your skill?
Our school is for you!
If you want to learn martial arts by masters of their trade in
a friendly and family environment, O2 Martial Arts Academy is
the place for you!
|
Want to Contact
Us? Shoot us an email by Clicking Here!
Follow O2 Martial Arts news via Twitter at:
http://www.twitter.com/O2MAA
Quote
of the Day
"The
art of living lies less in eliminating our troubles than in growing
with them."
Bernard M. Baruch
|
Hawaii
Vice: Can anyone loosen Penn’s grip?
By Elliot Worsell
There are seemingly two versions of BJ ‘The Prodigy’
Penn – the beatable one and the unbeatable one. The former
weighs anything upwards of 160-pounds and the latter displays
a semblance of a six-pack at just below 155-pounds. The difference
can be as little as 15-pounds, yet the disparity in results is
tremendous.
Compact
Penn has yet to suffer a lightweight defeat since dropping a
majority decision to Jens Pulver in 2002, while the more relaxed
and loose Penn has conceded defeat four times. Campaigning as
a 191-pound light heavyweight, Penn incredibly dropped a 2005
decision to current UFC champion Lyoto Machida. He also lost
welterweight wars with Georges St-Pierre (twice) and Matt Hughes.
Alas, though welterweight-and-above Penn never cuts the same
fearsome figure as his lightweight counterpart, ‘The Prodigy’
is only ever bested by the premier fighters.
Chances
are Penn could competitively hang in the upper echelons of the
welterweight, middleweight and light heavyweight divisions on
raw talent alone. The Hawaiian favourite wouldn’t have to
train a day. History tells us he’d probably meet a physically
superior athlete along the way, but Penn, a former welterweight
champion, is gifted and knowledgeable enough to hang with anybody.
For
many fighters, the assurance of remaining competitive with anybody
in the world would be greeted with a handshake and a smile. Too
tough to be wiped out and too talented to be overmatched and
overwhelmed. For current UFC lightweight champion Penn, those
assurances weren’t enough. He didn’t like what he’d
become. Despite once holding the UFC welterweight strap, Penn
was always just a temporary resident of the stacked 170-pound
division. A walk-on cameo. He stopped by from time to time, simply
because the division boasted numerous marquee attractions and
the weight class’ 15-pound bonus ticket allowed Penn to
loosen his belt buckle a couple of notches.
For
a natural talent like Penn, hard graft and disciplined training
was never a necessity. Like many born-to-do-it practitioners
of any sport, Penn has 90% of the competition beat on talent
alone.
It
took ‘The Prodigy’ some 30 years to realise that the
only way to conquer that elusive final 10% was through the hard
work he’d often neglected in the past. In order to become
great, Penn had to confront the one thing that had never come
easy to him – training. He had the simple choice of being
remembered as a very good welterweight – perhaps just shy
of great – or finding his niche as a 155-pounder and becoming
known as the greatest lightweight champion to ever live.
With
a doctor’s waiting room of beaten contenders in his wake,
Penn is now rapidly working towards achieving the latter. The
31-year-old is now a lightweight champion and, crucially, a lightweight
with no aspirations of moving up, taking his foot off the gas
or getting itchy feet and taking challenges out of his weight
range. Whisper it quietly to the rest of the 155-pound division
– BJ Penn is here to stay.
Normally,
this kind of security and legacy is great for a division. It
gives each of the foremost contenders a definitive champion they
can work their way towards and then strategise to beat. It gives
the other lightweights a target to reach and a bar to meet. Unfortunately
for the chasing pack, since reclaiming the UFC lightweight title
in early-2008, Penn has looked better, trimmer and more dominant
than ever. He’s now fighting opponents of a similar size
and is swiftly slicing through their sizeable reputations.
Last
Saturday night in Memphis, Penn engaged in his toughest test
yet as lightweight king. He faced welterweight-moving-down Diego
‘Nightmare’ Sanchez, considered by many to be the best
UFC lightweight not named Baby Jay. Like Kenny Florian, Sean
Sherk and Joe Stevenson before him, Sanchez quickly discovered
that preparing to face the old welterweight Penn is entirely
different from this new lightweight version.
Rocked
and badly hurt in the opening minute, Sanchez could have found
himself embarrassingly blitzed out by an on-song ‘Prodigy’.
It was only Diego’s heart and mental toughness that saw
him through until the fifth round, by which time his face threatened
to open up on itself and engulf his battered body.
Winning
via cuts stoppage in the final round, Penn had once again banished
his nearest rival and thus reshuffled the lightweight pack. With
the old guard of Sanchez, Florian, Stevenson and Sherk all tamed
within the last two years, Penn (15-5-1) now awaits the new breed
to step up and threaten his vice-like stranglehold on the UFC’s
lightweight division.
As
history has reminded us before, it may be unrealistic to expect
any human competitor to defeat this lightweight edition of Penn.
It might prove to be, just as before, a combination of misguided
ambition or sheer idleness that delivers Penn’s next loss.
***
Here are five fresh and hungry lightweights with every intention
of proving that the seemingly unbeatable lightweight champion
is most definitely beatable ***
Frankie
Edgar
Form:
New Jersey lightweight Frankie Edgar has improved immensely over
the last 18 months and now stands as one of the leading candidates
for a UFC title shot. ‘The Answer’ has tightened up
his striking and has scored three big wins on the spin, most
notable of which was a landslide decision over former champion
Sean Sherk. Edgar also boasts previous UFC wins over lightweight
contenders Tyson Griffin and Spencer Fisher. The only knock on
his resume to date is a unanimous decision loss to Gray Maynard
in April 2008.
Threats:
Edgar brings unshakeable confidence and self-belief into any
impending battle with Penn. He has scored three back-to-back
wins in the UFC and has dominated ex-champ Sherk. The key to
victory over Sherk was Edgar’s much-improved boxing skills
and ability to offset the ‘Muscle Shark’ with lateral
movement, angles and counter-punching. An intelligent thinking-fighter
with excellent wrestling, Edgar is the type to excel wherever
the fight goes. He possesses some of the best hands in the division.
Schedule:
Edgar’s dazzling win over Sherk may put him in the title
firing line immediately. He certainly seems to be entering his
prime right now and may be best advised to capitalise when the
time is right. Edgar gets better from fight to fight and appears
to be adding tools to his toolbox with each appearance.
Gray
Maynard
Form:
Unbeaten Gray Maynard has been near perfect in his UFC run so
far, claiming decision wins over Roger Huerta, Jim Miller, Rich
Clementi, Frankie Edgar and Dennis Siver. Most of his victories
are one-sided and most are achieved thanks to Maynard’s
considerable ability to control the fight standing or by utilising
his impressive wrestling. ‘The Bully’ shuts opponents
down quickly and never lets them into the fight.
Threats:
Maynard is a top-class wrestler with effective boxing. Unlike
many other wrestlers, Maynard is not afraid to stand and trade
punches. Conversely, Maynard often elects to stand and counter-punch
with opponents, aware that his superior technique and hand speed
will see him land first. When he needs to wrestle, he wrestles.
Maynard is blessed with options and can either stand and bang
or take down and control.
Schedule:
Nate Diaz is next for Maynard in January. Diaz will present Maynard
with a test, both in terms of his striking ability and his precision
on the ground. Diaz is a wild, unorthodox striker with decent
‘pop’ in both hands and is infinitely dangerous with
submissions on the ground. Maynard will have to choose his spots
carefully and quickly formulate the best strategy to counteract
Diaz’ strengths. Should ‘The Bully’ steal Diaz’
lunch money in January, a title shot could be just around the
corner.
Tyson
Griffin
Form:
A tremendous athlete with natural strength and wrestling, Griffin
is buoyed by back-to-back wins over Hermes Franca and Rafael
Dos Anjos in 2009. His knockout win over Franca – fought
at a catchweight of 159-pounds – was particularly impressive.
Decision losses to Sean Sherk and Frankie Edgar have stunted
Griffin’s title aspirations but, with five ‘Fight of
the Night’ bonuses to his name, Tyson remains very watchable
and dangerous at 155-pounds.
Threats:
Seven of Griffin’s last eight UFC bouts have gone to a decision.
Depending on your viewpoint, you can either draw negatives or
positives from that stat. As far as Griffin is concerned, his
knack of going the distance points to tremendous fitness, determination
and an ability to grind out results. Super strong, explosive
and blessed with the ability to fight at a rapid pace, Griffin
ensures he’s never an easy-touch for anyone. He can bang
on his feet and also use his wrestling background and core strength
to dominate on the ground.
Schedule:
Having recently knocked out Franca at UFC 103, Griffin will now
look to prosper in 2010. A rematch with either Sherk or Edgar
could be right up his street, as would any prospective battle
with a leading lightweight contender. Griffin is probably a big
win or two away from staking his claim - but at merely 25 years
of age is blessed with the time and potential to get there.
Nate
Diaz
Form:
The 24-year-old Diaz’ impressive submission of Melvin Guillard
in September saw the talented Californian get back on track following
a recent lull. Extremely talented, especially on the ground,
Diaz’ competitive decision losses to Joe Stevenson and Clay
Guida were mostly down to inferior experience and physical strength.
Crucially, Diaz was able to stay in touch and threaten both,
despite ending up on the wrong end of the cards. Previous submission
wins over Josh Neer, Kurt Pellegrino, Alvin Robinson and Manny
Gamburyan show Diaz’ pedigree.
Threats:
At only 24 years of age - and with a wealth of experience already
behind him – Nate’s threats and dangers will be most
apparent in the future. For now, Diaz is a significant problem
for any lightweight, standing or on the floor. His striking is
effectively messy and erratic, and his slick submission game
is supported by a string of tapped-out UFC foes. Diaz always
looks for a finish, whether standing or slapping on submissions.
Schedule:
Diaz’ next assignment comes in the form of Gray Maynard,
a top calibre wrestler with solid striking. Once again, Maynard
will test Diaz’ physical strength and his ability to get
up from a grounded position. Given the talent at his disposal,
Diaz is only ever one wild punch or one blink-and-you’ll-miss-it
submission away from beating Maynard. Should he stand up to ‘The
Bully’ in January, Diaz will be right in the mix.
George
Sotiropoulos
Form:
The least proven of the lightweights mentioned, Sotiropoulos
only claims two victories as a 155-pounder. He defeated both
George Roop and Jason Dent with eye-catching submissions in 2009,
having formerly competed in the welterweight division. Now settled
as a lightweight, this Australian’s potential is there for
all to see. Although solid and dangerous in the stand-up game,
it’s when the fight hits the deck that Sotiropoulos really
comes alive.
Threats:
Traditionally, Sotiropoulos chooses to stand and bang with his
opponent for about a minute or two, before eventually securing
a takedown and then displaying his vast submission-wrestling
arsenal. While his striking skills are noteworthy and vastly
improving, it’s Sotiropoulos’ ground skills that truly
catch the eye. Armed with tremendous control and strength, Sotiropoulos
tosses opponents around and sets them up for an array of submissions.
A black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, George’s submissions
are quick, powerful and clinical.
Schedule:
Fairly unproven to date, Sotiropoulos gets his litmus test in
February at UFC 110. Backed by home support in Australia, Sotiropoulos
faces UFC veteran and former Ultimate Fighter winner Joe ‘Daddy’
Stevenson. Should Sotiropoulos continue his hot streak against
Stevenson, we could be looking at one of the most exciting talents
in the lightweight division. It’s a big step up in class
for Sotiropoulos, but one he needs at 32, and one he appears
more than ready for.
Source: UFC
|
Mir
vs. Carwin Likely for Interim UFC Title at UFC 111
by Mike Chiappetta
With UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar still indefinitely
on the shelf, the organization is moving swiftly to create an
interim championship.
And
fresh off his spectacular win at UFC 107, Frank Mir is being
tabbed to face No. 1 contender Shane Carwin to fill the interim
title matchup, FanHouse has learned.
The
bout, which has not been officially signed but has been verbally
agreed to by at least one side, will be featured as the co-main
event at UFC 111 on March 27, 2010 in Newark, N.J.
Mir
(13-4), a former UFC champion and one-time interim titleholder,
last Saturday dominated Cheick Kongo, needing just 72 seconds
to win by technical submission. Coming on the heels of Mir's
UFC 100 loss to Lesnar in July, the impressive performance served
to reignite interest in the rubber match of a potential Mir-Lesnar
trilogy. Now, it appears that could be a possibility.
Standing
in his way is Carwin, who has yet to taste defeat in his pro
career, racking up 11 wins. Remarkably, all of his victories
have come via first-round stoppage. The 34-year-old former collegiate
football and wrestling star vaulted to the No. 1 contendership
in March with a knockout over Gabriel Gonzaga.
Carwin
had been scheduled to face Lesnar at UFC 106, and then UFC 108
before the current champ was forced to withdraw with a serious
intestinal disorder. He also had been offered a fight with Cain
Velasquez, an opportunity he turned down because of the event's
proximity to his pregnant wife's due date.
Over
the weekend at UFC 107, organization president Dana White told
reporters that Lesnar's health would be re-evaluated in about
45 days, and that a decision on an interim belt might not be
made until then, but now it appears that the company will try
to capitalize on Mir's sudden momentum while allowing Carwin
the opportunity to get back into the cage for the first time
in a full year. In recent days, both Carwin and Mir have voiced
their approval of such a bout.
Upcoming
matchups pitting Velasquez against Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira,
and Junior Dos Santos against Gilbert Yvel will add further clarity
to the once-muddled heavyweight picture.
As
first reported by FanHouse in November and confirmed by the UFC
last week, UFC 111 will be main evented by the welterweight championship
fight between challenger Dan Hardy and division kingpin Georges
St. Pierre.
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
Bouts
on UFCs Australia debut card
By Zach Arnold
Acer
Arena in Sydney, Australia. 16,500 tickets claimed sold.
Heavyweights
(up to 265 pounds): Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Cain Velasquez
Middleweights
(185 pounds): Wanderlei Silva vs. Michael Bisping
Lightweights
(155 pounds): Joe Stevenson vs. George Sotiropoulos
Light
Heavyweights (205 pounds): Keith Jardine vs. Ryan Bader
Heavyweights
(up to 265 pounds): Teak-tough Ben Rothwell vs. Mirko Cro Cop
Light
Heavyweights (205 pounds): Elvis Sinosic vs. Chris Haseman
Source:
Fight Opinion
|
MARCUS
DAVIS SIGNS NEW UFC DEAL
Marcus "The Irish Hand Grenade" Davis has signed a
new four-fight deal with the UFC, according to a source in his
camp.
Davis,
36, made his UFC debut on the second season of "The Ultimate
Fighter" in August 2005 and has made 12 Octagon appearances
since emerging from the reality show, earning an 8-4 record.
The
source said Davis was targeting a spring return to action, though
he has not been approached with a specific opponent or date.
Davis
is still healing from his last fight, a knockout loss to Ben
Saunders at UFC 106, the first time he'd completely lost consciousness
in 19 years of professional fighting. Prior to that, he lost
a hotly contested decision to welterweight contender Dan Hardy
at UFC 99.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Trainer:
Mir Will Be Tougher Than Lesnar
by Loretta Hunt
While
Shane Carwin waits for the green light on a proposed interim
heavyweight title bout against Frank Mir at UFC 111 on March
27 in Newark, N.J., preparations have already begun for the fighters
training camp at the Grudge Training Center in Denver.
Carwins
trainer, Trevor Whitman, said the fight with Mir, a former heavyweight
champion, is one the camp gladly welcomes.
I
actually think this is a tougher fight than the Brock fight because
I think Shane can shut down Brocks size, said Whitman, whose
gym is the sister school to Greg Jacksons Mixed Martial Arts
Academy in Albuquerque, N.M. When it comes to technical aspects
of fighting, Mir has so much more experience and he looks like
a new fighter recently.
Though
hes a 1999 NCAA Div. II wrestling champion, Carwin has been noted
more for his heavy hands, which have stopped all three of his
opponents inside the Octagon in less than two minutes since his
debut at UFC 84 in May 2008.
Whitman
said that fans havent even seen what Carwin can do yet.
Its
funny because you see Shane in these fights and he goes out there
and demolishes these guys, said Whitman. When he fights he looks
very awkward and thats (because) you cant see his skillset yet.
He hasnt even passed into his deep end yet, and when hes in the
gym (in) the second, third and fourth rounds, he keeps getting
better and better. I really cant wait to see him get into the
deeper waters of the fight. Hes more relaxed and his abilities
-- for a 280-pound guy - hes just so athletic.
Carwin
also has an inner drive to finish his opponents, said Whitman.
The
reason he goes out there and just demolishes guys is because
he has this killer instinct in him, said Whitman. I told him
he turns into the Hulk. I feel bad for anybody that punches him
because he just loses it. The thing is he loses it in somewhat
of a controlled way where he goes out there and gains a dominant
position and finishes the fight. I really believe Shane is, by
far, the best finisher in the heavyweight division right now.
The
34-year-old Carwin, who was originally scheduled to challenge
champion Brock Lesnar at UFC 106 on Nov. 21 in Las Vegas before
Lesnar was hospitalized with a severe intestinal infection, didnt
hesitate when offered the interim bout with Mir, said his trainer.
He
wanted to wait for Brock, but the thing is were just getting
stale on the shelf, said Whitman. Weve been off for a year now,
and that makes it very tough. I hope Brock gets better and I
hope his illness is not extreme and I fully believe in Shane
that we will beat Brock at some point.
Mir,
who flattened Cheick Kongo in 72 seconds at UFC 107 last weekend,
seems a more than a suitable distraction as Carwin and the rest
of the 265-pound division hold their breath for Lesnars return.
The
most important thing about a fight with Frank is that you can
not get in a bad position, said Whitman. Its all about dominating
every position, and if you get in that (bad) position, its about
working your way out of it. Mirs skillset as an all-around fighter
... I think hes the best pound-for-pound in the heavyweight division
right now for having access in every area, whether its striking,
kickboxing, strength or jiu-jitsu.
Source:
Sherdog
|
UFC
Signs Mr. Wonderful
by Brian Knapp
Phil
Davis, one of the sports top prospects, has agreed to terms on
a contract with the UFC. A date for his Octagon debut has not
yet been booked.
Known
as Mr. Wonderful, Davis was a four-time All-American wrestler
at Penn State University, where he finished his stellar collegiate
career with a 116-20 record. A national champion at 197 pounds
in 2008, he trains out of Brandon Veras Alliance Training Center
in San Diego. He sees the UFC as a culmination of his hard work
and persistence.
It
means a lot just to be on the biggest stage in mixed martial
arts, to be with a great company, said Davis, who declined to
reveal the terms of his deal. Its a great place for me to start
my career.
The
25-year-old light heavyweight owns a 4-0 professional record,
having competed inside the Palace Fighting Championship, Ultimate
Warrior Challenge and Ultimate Cage Fighting Challenge promotions.
Davis, a Harrisburg, Pa., native, last appeared in June, when
he submitted David Baggett with a rear-naked choke in 3:37. He
anticipates a steep learning curve in the UFC.
I
expect world-class challenges, Davis said. The UFC has the best
fighters in the world. You want to go up against the best in
the world, and youre guaranteed to do that in the UFC.
Davis
vowed not to disappoint.
You
can expect madness, a little bit of this, a little bit of that,
he said. Im a hard worker, determined, and I get the job done.
Source:
Sherdog
|
Which
organization will bring back Karo Parisyan to MMA?
By Zach Arnold
I
had originally set to do this post over the weekend, but I got
sick and it got put on the back burner. Anyhow, Josh Gross of
Sports Illustrated did an interview with Karo Parisyan and asked
Karo how his life was going and what was next in his MMA career
(audio here). Its one of the rare times where I cannot vouch
100% accuracy for the quote transcription despite the fact that
I went over and over and over in replaying the audio at different
speeds to try to get the best-possible accuracy on this quote
below. The interview is a long one, so I only included the first
answer (which was three minutes long). Karo is all over the place
when talking during the interview, so sometimes its hard to keep
up with his train of thought. I thought it was worth taking the
time to write out what Karo had initially said in his SI interview.
Let me tell you something, theres so much emotion and so much
stuff going on through my body but you know Im not a chick, you
know I fucking its for a man everybody deals with it, even girls
deal with problems. Right now Im getting my life back on track
basically, man, in a million years I would never thought stuff
like this would ever happen to me because you know its like when
you dont think of it it actually happens. I would never imagined
my career was on skyrocket, I was doing great, training, fighting,
blah blah blah, and then couple of you know stupid stuff happens
in your life and some you know a couple of mistakes you make
that you dont think its going to be like you know destiny-wise
and you fuck up your own destiny a certain way but you know Im
good man, Im getting my life back on track. I have so much more
to offer to the Mixed Martial Arts world, so much more I just
cant give up like this and just leave the martial arts world
and the fighting world and have everybody think of Karo like,
ah dude, this guy what happened to him, he fucking fell off the
face of the earth and he screwed up, you know its not just me.
I just never know how to give up, so, you know first and foremost
I would like to apologize to the UFC and especially Dana and
Lorenzo Fertitta and you know and Dana White for what happened
you know, I dont crap where I eat, UFC was my home, you know
Ive been here for seven years and here my intentions were never
to screw the UFC especially Dana and Lorenzo you know whatever
happened happened, lot of bad stuff happened in my life, some
bad decisions, you know and you know its like one of those things
that you dont think it will happen, youre like no no no, but
you know Im a big believer in karma and you just dont fuck up
and when you screw up its going to bite you in the ass, excuse
my language. I dont know man, right now Im in a better mental
state trying to get everything back on track, thats what I said
in my last interview and before that you know and I understand
that people dont believe me any more and its a natural thing,
its human nature like you know this guy said that the last time
that everything was fine and youre doing everything but why would
I believe him now? You know, but I dont expect anybody to hear
what Im saying right now, all I expect people to do is especially
for my fans I let a lot of people down you know, a lot of people
down and you know I still have a lot of support, I still have
a lot of support you know from a bunch of people and fans all
around the world and other countries even like you know what
I mean like the President man, I got a lot of support from people
but besides the support Im just you know asking for one more
chance to be able to redeem myself and show everybody that who
Karo really is and in time I will prove myself when I come back
and start fighting in Mixed Martial Arts for whatever organization
it may be.
Im not sure if hes talking about Dana White when he says the
President or who hes talking about. If someone can figure out
everything that he said in the opening of the interview, please
let me know so I can correct the record.
Source:
Fight Opinion
|
Benavidez
Praises Yahya’s “Dangerous” Game
By Frank Curreri
15
wins. 14 finishes. All submissions.
Clearly
Rani Yahya doesn’t conform to the played-out stereotype
of a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt who forgets his grappling
techniques whenever he gets punched in the face. Yahya is a special
breed on the mat, which is why his next opponent, Joseph Benavidez,
doesn’t hesitate to pin the “amazing” label on
the super-slick fighter.
“He’s
one of the most feared guys in the division,” Benavidez
said. “No one really wants to fight him. He was the last
fight I would have picked (to fight).”
Problem
is, WEC matchmaker Sean Shelby makes those lofty decisions and
he has created a matchup as intriguing as any on the entire WEC
45 card. Yahya (15-4) has won three straight – all first-round
finishes -- and is looking the part of a top contender. Benavidez,
A.K.A. “The Whirling Dervish” and “Reno, The Biggest
Little Man In the World,” is someone many believe has all
the makings of a future champion despite dropping a unanimous
decision to Dominick Cruz in August. It was the first loss of
Benavidez’ career and cost him a shot at the WEC bantamweight
title.
“It
was a great fight and it was entertaining for the fans, but it
wasn’t that entertaining for me,” Benavidez reflected.
“I felt kind of directionless out there. He just had a better
night than me … Hats off to him, he had a great strategy
and he capitalized on all of my mistakes. I should have had a
better strategy. I went through a lot of fights counting on my
athletic ability and having great instincts, but when you get
to this level, Dominick Cruz is also very athletic and he had
a better plan. He beat me with wrestling and that’s somewhere
that I should be beating him. I think the standup was even. I
think I’m a better wrestler than him. I should have set
out to take him down. He took me down, basically scored a point,
and that was the difference in the fight.”
Obviously,
changes were in order and so Benavidez, who is on the small side
for a 135-pounder, started by beefing up his frame. When he arrived
to train at Urijah Faber’s Team Alpha Male in Sacramento
two years ago, the New Mexico native weighed just 134 pounds.
Now, before his showdown with Yahya, Benavidez is walking at
over 150 pounds for the first time in his career. There is another
key adjustment that should be on display against Yahya.
“I
need to go back to my wrestling roots a little, that should be
my game,” said Benavidez, who has finished eight of his
opponents, including six submissions. “I’ll beat close
to 100 percent of people with me on top and them on bottom.”
If
the action hits the canvas, the 25-year-old Benavidez has little
chance to tap out Yahya, a former winner of the prestigious Abu
Dhabi Submission Wrestling World Championship (arguably the highest
title that can be attained in jiu-jitsu and submission grappling).
It is likely that Benavidez (10-1), should he dare to try and
take Yahya down, will cautiously try to pick his spots with ground
and pound. One natural defense for Benavidez is his small stature.
He’s 5 feet 4 inches tall, but his short limbs and neck
could make it harder for Yahya to tap him. It is also possible
that Benavidez, very quick and crafty as a striker, will prefer
to keep the fighting standing – though, if that’s the
case, he isn’t tipping his hand. Yet Yahya isn’t a
complete slouch in the standup realm, as he showed during a gutsy
and impressive losing performance to Japanese legend Norifumi
“Kid” Yamamoto two years ago. It was the lone TKO loss
of Yahya’s career and the Brazilian seems to have taken
his game to another level since then.
“It
would be a good win to have but I think people know names like
Mizugaki, Curran, Torres and Cruz,” Benavidez said. “This
is kind of the worst fight to take, where there isn’t much
to gain but the opponent is dangerous. But it’s good, especially
since I’m coming off a loss, and it makes me train hard.
He’s dangerous and not someone I can overlook.”
Source: UFC
|
SPECIALIST:
All Business - The Ultimate Culture: What TUF Is Doing For The
Sport
Pardon my short absence. I was in the U.S. Virgin Islands. (I
know tough life.) I did see a decent amount of TapouT t-shirts
and a number of people training around the beach while there.
The industry known as mixed martial arts is everywhere.
Well,
everywhere is a relative term. Massachusetts recently approved
regulatory mixed martial arts legislation. It is a surprise that
it took so long with fighters like Marcus Davis, Kenny Florian,
and Joe Lauzon living and/or training in Massachusetts. (I am
a Boston guy myself.) To many it seems as if professional MMA
has hit its stride based on the number of superstars created
by the sport, but I still think we are in the wake of larger
things to come, and the Ultimate Fighter's 10th season is a sign
of this.
The
Ultimate Fighter Series is definitely a huge vehicle for the
sport of MMA. The Ultimate Fighter, TUF, has the uncanny ability
to create hype around relative unknowns, former contenders, and
former champions all at the same time. The contestant's diverse
backgrounds and fighting styles allow young would be mixed martial
artists to latch on to almost any of the shows personalities.
TUF's
Season 10 winner, Roy Nelson, has given every "couch fighter"
as sense of hope (no matter how false it is, the man has some
cardio most chubby goes don't have). Nelson appears to be just
a regular guy who likes Burger King. Fight fans might relate
to him more than they do an athletic phenom like Brock Lesnar.
It may be safe to say that Roy Nelson is a phenom in a completely
different way than Lesnar.
So
what's my point? Well, the point is TUF has successfully reinforced
(if not furthered) the UFC as a culture. Culture is a key component
to any branded business. The Ultimate Fighter is currently the
biggest MMA product that participates in a wider cultural phenomenon
on a mainstream platform. This show capitalizes on America's
reality TV culture and then adds it's own core competency—fighting.
This core competency also serves as the added value proposition
for watching the UFC's reality TV show. The show, even though
it is in its 10th season, is a budding cultural phenomenon that
will surely be replicated as other American based fight companies
get their acts together.
The
ratings prove that mainstream fight sports culture is growing.
TUF's Season 10 Finale had an average viewership of 3.7 million
fight fans, and a peak of 5.2 million viewers during the Kimbo
Slice vs. Houston Alexander bout. On average about 3.4 million
viewers tuned in each week to watch this Heavyweight season of
The Ultimate Fighter. These millions of viewers are seeing quality
fights, how the UFC looks out for the health of the fighters,
and the key component of drama.
Unlike
WWE, the Ultimate Fighting Championship cannot write in the hype.
There is just not enough theatrical opportunity in a real one-on-one
fight. The drama in the UFC usually derives from stare downs
and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson's Twitter account. TUF
has given the UFC ten seasons of the dramatic edge needed to
cultivate a culture around prizefighting in homes across America.
Source: MMA Torch
|
Arlovski
Camp Planned to Face Overeem at Dynamite
by Fraser Coffeen
The camp for Andrei Arlovski has gone public with their disappointment
over a planned Dynamite clash with Alistair Overeem falling through.
Arlovski had apparently been offered the fight with Overeem
and accepted it. The former UFC champion only learned about
Overeem v. Fujita during the Dynamite press conference. According
to Arlovski's manager Leo Khorlinsky:
I
actually just got off the phone with the Japanese person who
was handling the communication and paperwork with me, and he
basically did not have a logical explanation or any comment in
regards to it... That's the fight that we were officially offered
by DREAM. And actually several days earlier we received the paper
work from Japan to go and obtain a Japanese VISA.
Japanese
promoters can be notoriously suspect in their dealings, but if
this is true, it really is horribly bad business. This would
have clearly been a huge fight, and for Arlovski to be officially
offered it, then have it taken away with no word is simply no
way to treat someone.
Of
course, this will also add plenty of fuel to the "Alistair
is ducking top competition" flames, as Fujita may be a legend,
but in 2009 he is obviously not remotely in Arlovski's league.
The idea of Arlovski v. Overeem is actually a very intriguing
match-up. Let's hope they get it together in the future.
Source: Head Kick Legend
|
Quote
of the Day
"It
is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets
the credit."
Harry S. Truman
|
Strikeforce
Today
HP Pavilion
(San Jose Arena)
12/19/09
By Zach Arnold
TV: Showtime
Dark
matches
Lightweights (155 pounds): Alex Crispim vs. AJ Fonseca
Lightweights (155 pounds): Bobby Stack vs. Alex Trevino
Lightweights (155 pounds): Juan Nunez vs. Luis Mendoza
Lightweights (155 pounds): Daisuke Nakamura vs. Bryan Travers
Light Heavyweights (205 pounds): Antwain Britt vs. Scott Lighty
Main
card
Light Heavyweights (205 pounds): King Mo vs. Mike Whitehead
Middleweights (185 pounds): Robbie Lawler vs. Trevor Prangley
Middleweights (185 pounds): Scott Smith vs. Cung Le
Middleweights (185 pounds): Matt Lindland vs. Jacare Souza
Strikeforce Lightweight title match (155 pounds): Gilbert Melendez
vs.
Josh Thomson
Source:
Fight Opinion
|
Lindland
Adjusts to Evolution of MMA, Prepares for Jacare
by Matt Kaplan
 
The MMA landscape in 2009 has been an unpredictable, often bloody,
and relatively lawless frontier. But not for long.
Matt
The Law Lindland (21-6), the veteran middleweight and former
Greco-Roman wrestling Olympic silver medalist, will make his
Strikeforce debut against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu maven Ronaldo Jacare
Souza (10-2-1) on Saturday, December 19, in San Jose, CA.
Lindland
fought just once in 2007, once again in 2008, and most recently
back in January nearly 11 months ago when he was stopped by
the rejuvenated fists of hard-hitting UFC middleweight Vitor
Belfort at Afflictions swan song.
Its
been basically contractual issues that have kept Lindland inactive,
he told FCF. With my new contract with Strikeforce, I should
be able to get in three fights in the next twelve months.
With
the first of those three fights just days away, Lindland maintained
that [e]verything seems to be right near where I need it to be
when asked about his camp. The 39-year-old recognizes the leaps
and bounds that MMA has taken since the days of him battling
Murilo Bustamante for the UFC middleweight strap, and so as not
to have sport pass him by, hes had to adapt.
The
sports constantly evolving; fighters are getting better and better,
and the sport is getting to be a deeper pool of athletes. So
youre going to have more good guys, especially in that middle
weight. Youve got to constantly be adjusting to all the new talent
coming out, and youve got to be adjusting your training to whats
new, whats working.
Whats working for Lindland, he said, is Nike SPARQ training,
which focuses more dynamic speed and agility training. Happy
with the SPARQ trainers and its overall approach, Lindland has
brought the SPARQ philosophy over to Team Quest. Thats been a
big evolution to what weve been doing, he said.
Still,
Lindland relies on his wrestling strengths and cage experience,
which he sees as a definite advantage over Jacare, a former Abu
Dhabi Combat Club and two-time World Jiu-Jitsu champion.
I
certainly think I have the experience in MMA; I was doing MMA
when he was just still grappling. I feel that the clinch and
takedowns are an advantage on my side, and obviously on the ground
hes got the advantage with submissions.
This
is a tough opponent for sure, Lindland maintains. I dont think
he has a huge name here in the United States, but anybody that
really follows the sport knows who he is, how tough he is.
In
Lindland and Jacare, Strikeforce has added two more dangerous
185-pounders to its already talented middleweight stable. Lindland
recognizes the competitiveness of his new division and embraces
Strikeforces depth at 185.
Pretty
much anybody in that weight class is a good opponent, Lindland
said of a weight class that includes the likes of Jake Shields,
Robbie Lawler, Scott Smith, Cung Le, Tim Kennedy, Cyborg Santos,
Joey Villasenor, and Mayhem Miller, just to name a few. Those
are the type of guys Id like to fight.
Nobodys
going to dispute that [middleweight]s Strikeforces deepest division,
and it looks to be getting even deeper with the signing of Dan
Henderson, said Lindland of his long-time teammate and corner
man.
Who
knows if hes going to fight at 205 against guys like [Gegard]
Mousasi or if hes going to want to go up and try and take on
Fedor. Ive heard he has interest in that, Lindland mentioned.
FCF has learned that the interest in a potential fight with Fedor
has been expressed by Henderson himself.
Who
knows where theyll use Dan but he can make (185), and he just
makes that weight class even deeper.
As
for UFC president Dana Whites assertion that he let Henderson
sign with Strikeforce, Lindland doesnt believe it to be an altogether
outrageous claim.
I
think theres probably a little truth in that statement in the
fact that if Dana were to make an offer that Dans going to turn
down, then I think he basically, you know, didnt sight him...
Dans looking at this as a business, and the best business move,
hes going to take.
It
seems that Henderson did in fact take the best offer, and with
a few wins at 185 lbs., he may very well find himself in striking
distance of the middleweight championship, possibly gunning for
the same prize as his good buddy Matt Lindland. Could Henderson
vs. Lindland be on the horizon?
I
dont think thats something either one of us are anticipating
or looking forward to, but I dont want to rule out anything.
I think it would have to be worth our while for both of us to
do it, and I just dont know if anyone really wants to see that
fight. If that was something the fans were dying to see, and
we could each make a lot of money doing it, that would have to
be something wed discuss.
Source:
Full Contact Fighter
|
Lauzon
Ready for Stout after Lengthy Lay-Off
By Kelsey Mowatt
10
months ago Joe Lauzon took another step forward on the comeback
trail, from his one and only Octagon defeat to Kenny Florian
in April, 2008, by tapping out the resilient veteran Jeremy Stephens
on February 7th. The win, was a nice follow up to his second
round stoppage of Kyle Bradley five months earlier in September,
extending Lauzons UFC record to 5-1. The 25 year-old-fighter
was continuing to impress.
Unfortunately
for Lauzon, however, news would soon surface that his win over
Stephens would mark the last time the former Ultimate Fighter
competitor would compete in 2009; an injured knee required surgery.
I
think in the beginning it was hellish because I couldnt train,
Lauzon recently told FCF when asked to reflect on the injury.
Then coming back into it, it was hellish because I wasnt used
to getting beat up every single day; I was injured just long
enough to kind of get comfortable with things. Then as soon as
I was healthy it was time to start getting cultured again. So
it was bad in that regard, but on the other hand a lot of things
have really started to improve for me, like a lot of stuff in
my jiu-jitsu game has jumped, my wrestling, my boxing, everything.
I had a few nagging injuries that I couldnt take care of but
because of my injured knee, I was able to take some time off
and completely heal up. So the time off has definitely been of
a benefit to me.
Lauzon
(18-4) will head to the Octagon for the first time in approximately
11 months, when he takes on Sam Stout at UFC 108 on January 2nd.
When FCF recently spoke with Stout (14-5-1), the Shawn Tompkins
trained fighter wondered, whether or not Lauzons time on the
sidelines might affect the lightweights performance. Stout last
competed in April when he worked his way to a Unanimous Decision
victory over Matt Wiman; the Canadian had been scheduled to fight
Phillipe Nover in September, but a seizure that Nover had just
hours before the bout, cancelled the contest.
Not
really, said Lauzon, when asked if hes concerned that ring-rust
might play a factor in the bout. Its something that Ive had to
be conscious of in training, so Ive definitely picked up training
a little bit, you know what I mean?
I
fought in February but Stouts last bout was in April, Lauzon
added. So theres only 2 months difference, so Im coming off a
longer wait, but he is too. I think in training weve done a good
job in simulating things, getting me in real bad spots and getting
me real, real tired, having to fight my way out. I think Ill
be in really good shape. Im not worried about that the least
little bit.
In
Stout, Lauzon will face a fighter who has forged a reputation
for being one of the divisions toughest competitors; the former
TKO champion has only been stopped once in 7 UFC bouts, with
the other 6 going to a decision. In addition, Stouts UFC resume
(3-4) is decorated with several memorable brawls, which includes
his two classic tilts with Spencer Fisher, as well as his recent
Fight of the Night bout with Wiman.
I
was super happy about it, Lauzon said when asked for his reaction
upon finding out he would face Stout. I love watching guys like
that; you know what I mean? That go out and fight like that.
I dont think you want to make a career out of having wars, but
its nice to be known as a guy that always goes out there and
fights to the end; puts on a good show. Its definitely going
to be a tough fight, but Im way more happy about fighting a guy
like Sam that goes out and tries to finish guys, than guys who
arent interested in that, that are great wrestlers and stall
people out.
I
think its a pretty safe bet that Sams either going to finish
me standing or Im going to finish him on the ground, Lauzon added.
I really dont know if it will go the full distance, it might,
but I would bet that one of us will finish the other.
Source:
Full Contact Fighter
|
GSP,
Fedor Emelianenko Honored at Home
by Ray Hui
Georges
St-Pierre and Fedor Emelianenko received mainstream recognition
this week, singled out as athlete of the year in their respective
homelands.
For
the second year in a row, St-Pierre was named Canada's Sportsnet
Athlete of the Year. St-Pierre received 64% of the votes in the
finals against Stanley Cup champion Sidney Crosby's 34%.
"Being
nominated with a guy like Sidney Crosby, who is the best hockey
player of nowadays, for me it's a great honor," St-Pierre
said upon receiving the award (video below). "Especially
in a country where hockey is king. It's good for me, but it's
also good for sport of mixed martial arts."
The
UFC welterweight champion fought twice in 2009, dominating BJ
Penn and Thiago Alves in successful title defenses.
In
a ceremony to honor Russia's top athletes, Fedor Emelianenko
was honored as the best male athlete alongside top-ranked tennis
player Svetlana Kuznetsova, who was the best female athlete of
2009. Over 500,000 votes were cast for the awards, according
to Russia Today.
In
2009, Fedor reeled off a first-round knockout against Andrei
Arlovski and introduced himself to mainstream American by stopping
Brett Rogers live on CBS.
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
Spike
to Air 10 UFC Prelims in 2010
Spike TV announced plans on Wednesday to continue airing live
preliminary bouts from UFC pay-per-view cards in 2010 on its
network.
In
a press release, the cable network noted excellent viewership
for the first three UFC Prelims shows for UFC 103, 104, and 106,
which averaged 1.4 million homes.
Bouts
from UFC 108 and 109, set for Jan. 2 and Feb. 6, will be the
first of the 10 one-hour UFC Prelim specials to air on Spike.
The
first UFC Prelims aired before UFC 103, which ran opposite boxing
star Floyd Mayweathers highly anticipated pay-per-view showdown
with Juan Manuel Marquez. The special was conceived as a way
for the UFC to help swell UFC 103s buy-rate in their first head-to-head
face-off with a major boxing pay-per-view.
Source:
Sherdog
|
SCOTT
SMITH READY FOR HIS BIGGEST FIGHT
by Jeff Cain
Scott
Hands of Steel Smith takes on former Strikeforce middleweight
titleholder Cung Le on Saturday night at the HP Pavilion in San
Jose, Calif., in what he considers the biggest fight of his career.
Smith
has been in big fights before featured on CBS in the defunct
EliteXC promotion, but feels this is the biggest fight hes had,
headlining on Showtime.
Hes
probably the most dangerous opponent Ive faced, Smith told MMAWeekly.com
content partner TapouT Radio recently. With this being a main
event, hes a former champion, this is definitely the biggest
fight Ive had.
These
are the kind of fights I beg for, added the 30-year-old fighter.
I want the fight the fans want to watch and thats the fight and
thats the kind of fight I try to put on out there, exciting fights.
This should be a very exciting one.
Smith
feels hes prepared for Les striking style composed of effective
kicks from all angles.
Ive
actually been working with a couple of his old training partners,
and my Thai coach does a pretty good job too, said the California
resident. They have me mainly on blocking that body kick. He
has a real nasty body kick, roundhouse kick.
Smith
sees the fight with Cung Le as a no lose situation, but has every
intention of winning.
Im
the underdog in this fight. Hes the previous champion. This is
easy for me. Ive got nothing to lose, he said.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Report:
Vancouver City Council Approves 2 Year Trial for MMA
By FCF Staff
According
to an online report from the Vancouver Sun this afternoon, Vancouver
City Council has approved a two year trial term for mixed-martial-arts
competition in the city, clearing the road for the Ultimate Fighting
Championships arrival. The report goes onto state that the UFC
is looking to host an event in the coastal city sometime in June.
Todays
announcement reverses the citys decision in 2007 to stop sanctioning
MMA events from taking place; officials at the time cited concerns
regarding possible liability issues, as the impetus for the ban.
Vancouver had held several sanctioned MMA events without incident
prior to 2007.
Heading
into todays vote, the city authorized test event amateur MMA
cards, and also heard from law enforcement officials, local business
owners, martial arts instructors and UFC officials, before agreeing
to the 2 year trial.
Its
expected that Vancouvers General Motors Place, a 20,000 seat
plus venue, would host the UFCs first venture in the city. The
arena, which is located in the downtown core, is home to the
National Hockey Leagues Vancouver Canucks.
Source:
Full Contact Fighter
|
Is
Dana White trying to portray Dan Henderson as MMAs version of
Bret Hart?
by Zach Arnold
When news broke earlier this week that Dan Henderson had signed
with Strikeforce as a free agent, a lot of people were stunned.
How could UFC, given their lack of superstar depth to headline
monthly PPVs, let Henderson go to the competition? Even more
stunning was Dana Whites public reaction, which was one of joy.
Joy? Yes, White wants you to believe that Henderson signing with
Strikeforce is a good thing because in his mind the signing will
put Scott Coker out of business due to how much money Dan will
get paid on the new contract.
If
all of this sounds fishy or bizarre to you, youre not alone.
I had to sit down for a while and think about the last time a
promoter was actually happy to lose a big-name superstar that
he had invested a lot of resources in to promote. It was not
easy to come up with a comparison in the MMA world, but I did
come up with a comparison from the pro-wrestling world.
Bret
Hart.
Everyone
who follows WWE knows about The Montreal Screwjob in 1997 and
what happened there, which led to Bret Harts exodus from WWE
to WCW after the title was taken away from him. Hart had signed
a 20-year contract with WWE and Vince McMahon allowed Hart to
leave WWE to go to WCW where Hart would be paid substantially
more. Then, of course, there was haggling over Hart losing his
world heavyweight title to Shawn Michaels and the rest is history.
Hart ended up in WCW and had a disappointing run due to the companys
booking. He was paid a lot of money but he ended up a miserable
man for his stay there.
if
you buy into what Dana White is saying today about Dan Henderson
signing with Strikeforce, then you might believe that Henderson
will end up as miserable as Bret Hart did after leaving WWE.
During the negotiations process between UFC and Henderson, Dave
Meltzer claimed that the UFC side was telling him that Dan wanted
Tito money, which would mean a million dollar signing bonus.
Whether it was true or not, the idea that this was floated in
the media created an impression that Henderson was greedy and
selfish and overvalued his position in the sport of Mixed Martial
Arts. On Wednesday afternoon, Dan Henderson did a 26-minute interview
with Sherdog radio where he was in a very good mood. He cracked
a joke about how he knows what it feels like to be like Sherdog
now with all the UFC politics.
I
feel like Im like you guys now BANNED from the UFC! Well see
how long it lasts with me.
Of
course, Henderson has no ill feelings towards UFC.
Yeah,
and bottom line is Im a fan of the sport and would love to still
go to the UFCs, so well see what happens. Hendersons interview
with Sherdog was fascinating. He let the cat out of the bag that
Strikeforce would considering doing PPVs in 2010 and also revealed
details about his contract with the promotion.
Its
four fights, uh, its about a year and a half from now, yeah.
I
mean its open to be on either Showtime or CBS or PPV, um, and
I know that there probably will be a PPV in one or two of those
four fights. I believe the first one is scheduled to be on CBS.
As
for whether or not Henderson will fight both as a Middleweight
(185
pounds) or a Light Heavyweight (205 pounds), its still up for
discussion.
I
believe so (both weight classes) and I believe its pretty much
you know something that we need to discuss but were open to meet,
coming in and fighting at either weight class right off the bat.
So, you know, its something were going to talk about after the
holidays.
It
depends on the dates that they send as well, but you know well
see what happens. Im certain that either weight class I go that
theres definitely somebody there that will challenge me, you
know, Jake Shields at 185 is definitely been doing real well
and walking through people. Same with Gegard Mousasi at 205,
so, theres definitely some interesting match-ups there.
One
person that Henderson doesnt see himself fighting is King Mo
Lawal, who has made a name for himself in the Sengoku promotion
in Japan but also recently signed with Strikeforce. Mo used to
train with Henderson.
Yeah
but you know he hasnt trained in our gym in over a year, but,
you know, I dont believe that Strikeforce brought me in to fight
someone that you know nobody really knows in the US. As a fighter,
he you know hes been fighting in Japan since he started and been
doing really well, so you know as soon as he gets known in the
US, maybe thats a possibility, but nobody really knows who he
is here. So, yeah, he wouldnt be a high-profile match-up.
As
for when Henderson will make his Strikeforce debut, expect it
to happen in the Spring of 2010.
Uh,
you know probably early March but you know it all depends on
the CBS schedule pretty much and when theyll be having an event
on their network and well see because you know Im not sure but
Im pretty sure the first one is going to be on CBS and then possibly
Showtime after that but who knows?
One
person he really wants to fight is Fedor. Its true.
Um,
Im definitely interested in it. Its something that would give
me goose bumps thinking about the opportunity and the challenge
and thats a big reason why I fight is because of the challenge
of things and you know, different opponents kind of give you
different challenges and he would be the ultimate challenge,
for sure, you tell me is that something youd pay for as a fan?
One
of the keys to Strikeforce is that they have multiple platforms
to advertise shows on both on CBS and Showtime, plus PPV if
you believe what Henderson has to say. UFC is strictly with Spike
TV at the moment. How did Strikeforces ties with a network television
station influence Dans decision to sign with UFCs main competitor?
Its
just you know it seems like its a huge opportunity to actually
have a key role in bringing new fans to the sport and thats exciting
to me, whether its Showtime or CBS, the audience is much bigger
than you know I dont know what the UFCs PPV numbers have been
lately, 3 or 4 or 500,000, so, its much bigger than that and
that is definitely appealing to me.
Last
month, news broke in MMA media circles that Clinch Gear, a company
that had been sponsoring MMA fighters, was banned by the UFC.
The UFC has long had petty wars with clothing companies in terms
of censoring which ones can and which ones cant sponsor fighters.
Clinch Gear is a company that Dan Henderson has a vested interest
in. Naturally, Zuffa banned fighters from Clinch Gear sponsorship
and cost them money. Henderson says that Strikeforce has an open
policy on sponsorship unlike UFC does.
Its
pretty much wide open, I can do whatever I want. I mean, obviously
Im with me Im not the guy thats going to you know have something
thats going to be offending on my body or on my shorts, you know,
its wide open you know its not limited by the Strikeforce sponsors
or you know the UFC really is holding everybody hostage and really
making it difficult for the fighters to supplement their income,
especially some of those guys are hardly making any money and
they really have hurt the sponsorship income quite a bit.
[The
Clinch Gear banning] happened during the negotiation process.
Basically we had a deal to, when we were paying, we had a deal
until the end of the year to pay a certain amount a month to
have the right to sponsor guys which you know I think is you
know not all that great for the fighters for them to do that,
theyre taking away from like I said some of these fighters that
rely on that money but we had a deal in place and they basically
canceled that deal and said that, sorry, you havent resigned
yet, so you guys are banned. And all it did was make me chuckle,
its you know it wasnt that big of a deal, we really were trying
to trying to support some of these up-and-coming guys who were
mostly fighting on the undercard with the exception of say Krzysztof
(Soszynski)
or
some of my guys, we were mostly sponsoring undercard guys that
you know sometimes theyd get on TV if they had good fights but
were trying to support the up-and-coming guys.
Strikeforce
has integrated Clinch Gear as part of Hendersons new deal.
Yeah,
I actually can say that it is part of the contract, it will be
as one of the major sponsors in the cage during my fights and
you know you can now probably buy Clinch Gear at all the Strikeforce
events as well, so, yeah it worked out fairly well for Clinch
Gear.
Strikeforce
is so easy to deal with on the issues like that, their main concern
is putting on good fights and not all the other little things,
they dont try to control all the fighters, every aspect of them,
so its very refreshing. What made UFCs stance with Henderson
so stunning is that he is at the top of his game. Hes at his
peak also in terms of mainstream appeal. UFC spent a lot of capital
building him up as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter and he was
a major star at UFC 100 when he destroyed Michael Bisping. UFC
100 was the companys biggest PPV and Dan Henderson came out of
that event as a mega-star. After UFC 100, UFC didnt sign him
to a new deal. And yet they poured a lot of money into Tito Ortiz,
a guy coming off of major back surgery. The end result? Henderson,
the hot property, ends up with Strikeforce and UFC is stuck with
Ortiz, who looked like he was walking in quicksand against Forrest
Griffin at last months UFC event. Im still waiting for the Nevada
State Athletic Commission to tell us about the medicals that
showed Tito having a cracked skull going into the fight.
Now
that Henderson has signed with UFC, Dana White wants you to believe
that Henderson is going on age 40 and perhaps on the decline.
Henderson says Dana is just being Dana.
I
think the fans have grown to know Dana and know how he is and
you know I think they respect him for the fact that he has done
great things for the sport and taken it to a new level but they
also know how he is and he gets a little bit emotional sometimes
and speaks without thinking and says stuff that maybe he doesnt
have to say so Ill leave it at that.
Does
Henderson think he was disrespected by the UFC?
Well,
I said it in a way but you know it wasnt any one thing. Um and
obviously Im not fighting for free either and money is a big
part of it and I will say that Im happy with every aspect of
my new Strikeforce deal, but you know there was a little bit
of you know feeling that maybe um they didnt respect me as I
felt they could have and you know especially when he announces
that Ill be Anderson Silvas next fight and then gives it to somebody
that I beat before, you know, its just things like that, little
things, it wasnt even one major thing and you know, I felt like
uh with him with Dana saying you know that he wants to make sure
all of his fighters are happy, its not good if theyre not happy,
and I felt that he could have really uh stuck to that a little
bit better.
You
know, who knows? I wont comment on Dana, the fans knows Dana
and how he talks and you know all I know is they did call me
up, trying to get me fight on Super Bowl Weekend last Friday
so theyre really stuck for main events and I think the fans are
going to start to grow tired of you know paying for PPVs with
fights that you know theyre just mediocre and you know well see,
the UFC is really flooding the market with so many events that
you know its hard to have the same quality of events that they
used to have. Now theyre having a lot more fights now and they
all cant be top-notch events, so you know, I have no idea whats
going on with that, but Im very happy with my deal.
Despite
Whites comments, Henderson contacted him directly and notified
him of signing with Scott Coker.
Yeah,
I called him Monday morning just before the press release went
out and I wanted to just tell him personally that I signed with
Strikeforce and to thank him for everything that hes done thing
and Ive said that all along, I appreciate the things hes done
for the sport and for me and I dont have any hard feelings, I
like Dana and you know I really truly have no hard feelings about
anything, so I just I did speak with him Monday morning.
During
the negotiations process between UFC and Dan Henderson, Henderson
noted several issues of contention. The first issue dealt with
UFC wanting total control of him as a fighter his likenesses,
what he could say or not say about UFC, etc.
I
can never say that I was a UFC fighter, I couldnt use the word
UFC on my web site. Im sure and all it would do was promote the
UFC had I done that but you know they like to control their name
and my name, I should say, yeah, you know I gave up my rights
a little bit not exclusively on certain things and when I signed
with Zuffa, but you know only to promote the fights and I never
signed licensing deal so you know they you know, that would
have been one aspect that they would have made mandatory had
I resigned with them is exclusive, basically on licensing for
me.
No,
I never signed it and no, I was in the middle of my contract
and I didnt lose so they couldnt really hold me hostage. These
guys that lose when theyre in the middle of the contract basically
have you know the contract as far as Im concerned if it says
that its for five fights, it should be for five fights on both
ends, but if somebody loses the UFC has the option of canceling
that and not giving them all their fights and its really pretty
much a one-sided deal. The second issue at hand was Henderson
not getting a re-match with Anderson Silva despite the fact that
Dana White had publicly said it could happen. Instead of Henderson
getting the title re-match he wanted, the title shot went to
Vitor Belfort who beat Rich Franklin last September in Dallas
in a 195-pound catch weight fight. It wasnt even a Middleweight
(185 pound) fight and after one win in the UFC, Belfort got the
title shot! Was Henderson surprised by what happened in regards
to UFCs booking?
Um,
you know I guess I wasnt overly surprised at it. But, yeah, I
really honestly think that they had no idea at the time that
I had fought Vitor not all that long ago so you know, I really
like Vitor, he is a good fighter and um, you know its a fight
that I might like to see but who knows? Im a little biased on
the issue but I dont know if the fans would rather see me fighting
Anderson again or Vitor. Either way, I think you know he did
jump the line a little bit. I would have been perfectly fine
if Marquardt got that shot and wouldnt have said a word, you
know hes done enough to deserve that title shot again but and
hes been doing it very impressively lately so you know for them
to throw Vitor in there that hasnt fought in the UFC at 185 was
a little bit premature.
The
third issue at hand involved the dreaded issue of UFC asking
fighters to sign away their likenesses and other characteristics
for video games and merchandising. Jon Fitch publicly got smacked
around for initially refusing to sign away his rights but ultimate
recanted his words and signed them away. Henderson was not playing
ball with UFC on signing away his likeness.
No,
that wasnt really an issue of mine, I never went out and reached
out to EA Sports yet, Im sure that Ill probably be in their next
video game now but you know thats not something that I was looking
for when I signed this deal with Strikeforce, but it was something
that would have been really hard for me to give up is exclusive
video game rights forever and not have a written deal to get
paid to get paid for it. You know with them saying well you know
well pay a little bit if its making a little money but you know
it wasnt going to be good enough for me especially you know with
them um you know its a lot of things you cant trust everything
that they say, Id like it in writing so.
The
former PRIDE 185-pound and 205-pound champion sees his signing
with Strikeforce as a good thing for fighters. Im one of the
guys that I dont make rash decisions, I dont just you know Im
usually you know really relaxed and easy-going and take everything
in and then make a decision on things and Im a little bit slower
to make decisions, especially big decisions like this. You know,
a lot of the fighters that do know that about me and if Im signing
with Strikeforce that means that obviously its something to look
at now, you know other than the UFC having a monopoly on things
theres actually another option, so, who knows whats going to
happen and I honestly hope the UFC does bigger and better things
and only helps the sport like I said, the bottom line is Im a
fan of the sport, I want the sport to grow, and me signing with
Strikeforce I think was ultimately a good move for the sport.
In
much the same way that Bret Hart was viewed as a legend by fans
when he went to WCW after departing from WWE, Dan Henderson says
he occasionally catches himself thinking about all the big-name
opponents he has fought in MMA and where he stands in the history
books.
You
know I guess occasionally I do look back and say, shit, I have
you know fought this guy and that guy, I guess I fought quite
a few guys who are considered legends now, but honestly I fight
for the challenge of things and I get up for the challenge and
its exciting to me to maybe be the underdog again or its exciting
to me to be really have to change my game plan up for this guy
or for that guy and to be really careful when Im out there fighting
against certain guys and I love it and I love my job and you
know I obviously have been in the sport and been active in the
sport longer than most people and this is one reason I kind of
held out for a bit longer on this contract you know just because
you know I feel like Ive definitely helped this sport grow and
just because Im not a loud-mouth shit-talker doesnt mean I shouldnt
get paid you know the way I should compared to some of these
other guys that are loud-mouthed and that I would beat up. So
you know it is what it is and Im actually quite happy with the
way things went down and if Dana pushed for it, I really thank
him for it.
Somehow,
I expect Dan Hendersons tenure in Strikeforce to be a lot more
rewarding than Bret Harts tenure in WCW was.
Source:
Fight Opinion
|
Jean
Silva retires: "I'm too tired"
By Eduardo Ferreira
An idol in England and one of the best Brazilian lightweight
in the MMA history, Jean Silva announced his retirement today,
exclusively to TATAME.com. The former Chute Boxe fighter, who
fought for almost ten years and 40 fights, already faced top
ranked fighters like Takanori Gomi and Vitor Shaolin, also battled
with tough opponents such as Fabrmcio Camues and Paul Daley.
Check below the announcement, sent to TATAME.com.
Hey guys from TATAME, I announced to you in first hand my retirement.
Its 10 years of career and almost 40 fights. Im too tired to
train and administrate my new training center here in Joco Pessoa.
Another reason is that my manager abandoned me. Its complicated
when you lose, because you dont have any value anymore. I had
other problems that made me think more on taking care of my family
and my business around here. Its sad to me, but sooner or later
this day would come. I think I already gave my contribution to
MMA, specially in England, where I fought most of my career".
Source:
Tatame
|
10
Questions for Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
by Marcelo Alonso
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira had a brilliant UFC debut in November,
stopping Luis Arthur Cane in the first round.
Sherdog.coms
Marcelo Alonso caught up with the Brazilian light heavyweight
shortly after his win. Topics include Nogueiras 2005 battle against
Mauricio "Shogun" Rua in Pride and how a rematch would
go, UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida and Randy Couture.
Sherdog:
What do you think about winning by KO in your UFC debut?
Nogueira: It was amazing. Not only did I debut with a knockout,
but I won the prize of best knockout of the night against one
of the toughest guys in that division. Cane is such a tough guy,
but I trained a lot for his game and my boxing was really sharp.
Sherdog:
Did you study his game?
Nogueira: I knew he is a great striker, so I trained my boxing
a lot. I received a lot of criticism from Internet fans saying
that I was just focusing on my boxing. But I knew Banha was coming
to exchange, so I was ready for that. But I have to tell you
I expected that the fight would go through the third round.
Sherdog:
How do you assess your rival Lyoto, Shogun and Randy Couture?
Nogueira:
Actually I dont see Lyoto as a rival; we are much more like friends.
We trained together a couple of times, and Lyoto is an amazing
person and friend. His style is really something special, not
only because karate but because he adapted karate to MMA. Actually
there is no easy opponent in that division. Wherever you look
there is a tough opponent. Randy is an amazing wrestler and a
legend of the UFC. He has already defeated the toughest UFC fighters
and demands all respect. About Shogun, he is one of the most
aggressive fighters in that division, and we could see that he
improved a lot in that fight against Lyoto.
Sherdog:
Is there a fight where you choked, that you would like to do
over?
Nogueira: I would like to have a fight with Shogun again.
Sherdog:
You and Shogun had one of the biggest fights in the history of
Pride, in which he took the decision. What do you think you should
have done extra to have won that fight?
Nogueira: It's tough to say, man. Shogun is a great fighter,
a great champion, and he was in the best stage of his career
until today. He has his merits. At the end of the fight, I tried
to take his back. If I had finished the fight there at his back,
I would have been able to change the story of the fight.
Sherdog:
How would that fight go today in the UFC?
Nogueira: I think I improved a lot of my skills. I competed a
lot in boxing and also developed my ground, but for sure Shogun
also improved. So the only thing I can say is that it would be
another amazing fight but in the cage.
Sherdog:
How's your life these days and what are you planning for your
future? When will your baby be born?
Nogueira: Now we are sharing our training between Rio de Janeiro
and Los Angeles. Im training with my brother and Anderson in
LA now, but I must return to Rio in the second week of December
because my wife is going to give birth on the first of February.
Its going to be a baby girl, Valentina. Im really anxious for
that.
Sherdog:
What's the difference between Rodrigo Minotauro as a brother
and as a training partner?
Nogueira: As a brother he's like a big dad, and as a training
partner he's very rigorous.
Sherdog:
What was it like to represent Brazil in the 2007 Pan American
Games and even take a medal?
Nogueira: It was an honor because you dedicate yourself to an
objective, and to be able to reach a goal, like an Olympic medal,
is an honor for me. It's very gratifying to be able to reach
a goal like that.
Sherdog:
Who do you consider the number one heavyweight? Why?
Nogueira: Rodrigo, because of the history he's had during many
years. He fought with the best. He won, putting on the most beautiful
fights.
Source:
Sherdog
|
Vera
vs. Jones Targeted for UFC Return to Denver
by Ray Hui
A light heavyweight bout between Brandon Vera and Jon Jones is
a possibility for a UFC card in March in Denver, Colo.
Vera
posted late Tuesday on his Twitter account that he will fight
Jones on March 21, but later deleted the message within a half-an-hour.
It appears the fight has been offered to both fighters, but bout
agreements have not yet been signed.
Vera
lost his scheduled opponent this week for UFC 109 on Feb. 6 when
the UFC injury bug latched onto Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, sidelining
the top-ranked Brazilian with a fractured ankle.
Jones
is coming off a dominant performance two weekends ago against
Matt Hamill even though he would lose the bout by disqualification
due to ill-advised, illegal elbows.
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
HOUSTON
ALEXANDER: HIS OWN WORDS (PART 1)
by Steven Marrocco
MMAWeekly.com
on Thursday spoke with light heavyweight Houston Alexander, who
faced Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson at "The Ultimate
Fighter" season 10 finale on Dec. 5 in Las Vegas. In a fight
widely criticized by fans and UFC president Dana White, Alexander
talks about his thoughts on the experience and his future in
the sport.
(This
is part one of an exclusive two-part interview with Houston
Alexander.)
MMAWeekly:
Lets start from the beginning. How did you feel going into the
fight and what were your expectations going in versus what happened?
Alexander:
I felt really good going into the fight. My coaches said this
was the most prepared Id been for a fight. Even I was going through
a lot of... cause what I do, I visualize a lot. Right before
the fight, I went down to the auditorium, and I felt myself coming
out and going down the walkway, so I felt really good. Ive probably
never felt as good as I did coming into this fight.
MMAWeekly:
You paused there for a second. Were there any distractions leading
up to this camp?
Alexander:
No, there were no distractions. Ive been doing this for 10 years,
so I was real relaxed and I was well prepared for this fight.
It was not that I wasnt prepared, I was prepared to a T.
MMAWeekly:
What about your cardio? Most of your fights have ended really
quickly, and obviously you went the distance and both of you
looked exhausted. I think thats where some fans criticized your
performance. Were you prepared for three rounds?
Alexander:
Its funny, because no ones in there with us doing the actual
fighting. Youve got a lot of people doing this talk about, aw,
this guys cardio. I could have went another round, to be honest.
I could have went a couple more rounds. You have to fight through
fatigue, and it was more of a mental thing than anything. Youre
exhausted because youre mentally exhausted. I dont think it was
that we were both exhausted; fighters think about the fight constantly,
and when its finally over, its over. My thing was more relief
than anything.
MMAWeekly:
What was your game plan going into this fight?
Alexander:
Our game plan was to kick at Kimbo with that big right leg. Because
the big right leg could take him down. If he came in, keep your
hands up and elbow. We didnt necessarily have to punch Kimbo,
we wanted to use the elbows more and punish him.
MMAWeekly:
So you wanted to get in tight...
Alexander:
Yeah, and so its funny how people are saying also that, you ran
from Kimbo. But no ones saying how Kimbo didnt come in. He didnt
go rushing in at me. You usually see him coming in at people.
He didnt come at me. No ones saying that.
MMAWeekly:
Dana White said Kimbo was chasing after you and you didnt want
to fight.
Alexander.
Awww, Kimbo was chasing after me? Did you see Kimbo chasing after
me and did you see him actually try and engage?
MMAWeekly:
Honestly, I didnt see a whole lot of engaging in the first place.
Alexander:
He wasnt engaging. This is part of the fight game. People are
just wanting to see two of us go at it, with no game plan, no
nothing, and just go in and start wailing on each other. I thought
MMA was about something other than that. Apparently, thats what
they wanted. And thats part of the entertainment, thats part
of being a fighter, but I also thought being a fighter was strategizing
and going in there with a game plan.
MMAWeekly:
What are you thoughts on what Dana said about your future in
the UFC. Are you still with the UFC?
Alexander:
First of all, I havent gotten any papers from me being declined
from the UFC at all. And Monte Cox, hes my manager, so he hasnt
received any papers saying that Ive been released. Until that
happens, Im not released. Or if weve received word from Joe Silva
that Ive gotten cut. People can say all they want I havent received
any papers.
(Stay
tuned for part two of this exclusive interview with Houston
Alexander.)
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
UFC:
Pitbull vs Big Dog; Minotouro on ice
by Carlos Eduardo Ozsrio
With
the number of Brazilians at the top of the MMA world, it is inevitable
that compatriots from the country face off in the top-flight
of the sport. Thus, it comes as no surprise word is that the
UFC has matched Ricardo Cachorrco (Big Dog in Portuguese) against
Thiago Pitbull.
Much
speculation regarding the dogfight has surfaced in the media,
although no official information confirming it has been released
by the UFC. The matchup is tipped to take place at the March-27
UFC 111 show, in New Jersey. Both athletes are coming off injuries.
Set
for the same day are two title bouts. Georges St.-Pierre is set
to defend his welterweight title against Dan Hardy, while it
has been reported that Frank Mir should face Shane Carwin for
an interim heavyweight title belt, as current champion Brock
Lesnar is sidelined indefinitely due to illness.
Minotouro
out with injury
Rogirio
Minotouro was preparing for his second UFC outing, against Brandon
Vera. The bout was set to take place February 6 in Las Vegas,
at Ultimate Fighting Championship 109. However, Minoto suffered
an ankle injury and has been pulled from the card. Alleviating
the fighters disappointment is the fact that both train at partner
teams, even training together at times.
Stay
tuned to GRACIEMAG.com for further news on the UFC
Source:
Gracie Magazine
|
Quote
of the Day
"I
am for those means which will give the greatest good to the greatest
number."
Abraham Lincoln
|
Strikeforce
Tomorrow
HP Pavilion
(San Jose Arena)
12/19/09
By Zach Arnold
TV: Showtime
Dark
matches
Lightweights (155 pounds): Alex Crispim vs. AJ Fonseca
Lightweights (155 pounds): Bobby Stack vs. Alex Trevino
Lightweights (155 pounds): Juan Nunez vs. Luis Mendoza
Lightweights (155 pounds): Daisuke Nakamura vs. Bryan Travers
Light Heavyweights (205 pounds): Antwain Britt vs. Scott Lighty
Main
card
Light Heavyweights (205 pounds): King Mo vs. Mike Whitehead
Middleweights (185 pounds): Robbie Lawler vs. Trevor Prangley
Middleweights (185 pounds): Scott Smith vs. Cung Le
Middleweights (185 pounds): Matt Lindland vs. Jacare Souza
Strikeforce Lightweight title match (155 pounds): Gilbert Melendez
vs.
Josh Thomson
Source:
Fight Opinion
|
BJ
Penn Hitting His Prime
by Mike Chiappetta
MEMPHIS Perhaps with the passage of time, we'll one day look
back and truly understand just how great BJ Penn was.
That's
not a realization that can come from one, specific win -- even
one as dominant as his fifth-round TKO against Diego Sanchez
at UFC 107. Instead, it comes as a compilation of history.
Here's
a brain-teaser for you: try to think of another MMA fighter who
was relevant at the beginning of the '00s, a contender throughout
the decade and still at a championship level entering the '10s.
The only acceptable answer is Penn. Randy Couture is 3-3 in his
last six fights; Matt Hughes is only 2-3 in the last three years;
Georges St. Pierre got a late start this decade; Fedor Emelianenko
was little known in the MMA world until his Nov. 2002 PRIDE debut
nearly three years into the decade; Vitor Belfort had several
down years in the mid-'00s.
Penn,
meanwhile, was "the Prodigy" from the beginning, delivering
on the big expectations always surrounding him. Originally considered
a jiu-jitsu specialist, he showed his well-rounded game from
the beginning, with three straight knockouts to start his career.
The
knock on Penn was always his motivation. In fact, he was always
motivated to do great things, just not to put in the work necessary
to accomplish them. Time solved that. As the clock on his youth
ticked away, Penn was embarrassed for the first and only time
in 2006, when he was crucifixed by Matt Hughes after gassing
out and TKO'd due to strikes.
Thus
began the rebirth of Penn, who has looked like a world-beater
at lightweight since then. The blips on his 15-5-1 record will
always bring with them detractors on his history, but the record
will also show that most of those losses came to all-time greats
like Hughes, St. Pierre and Lyoto Machida while moving up in
weight class. To date, his only loss at 155 pounds came to Jens
Pulver, and two of the decisions he dropped in his career --
including the Pulver loss -- came in controversial fashion.
But
the most amazing thing about Penn is the second surge in his
career. Everyone always knew he had the talent, but when he began
to put in the time, he found another level. In his last five
lightweight fights, not one opponent has managed to go the distance
with him.
Sanchez
came the closest, surviving into the fifth before a doctor stopped
the bout due to cuts.
"You
know what? This happens. He's a great champ," Sanchez said
afterward. "This is the best BJ to step in a ring. I did
my best, but I didn't end up on top."
Penn's
beatdown of the tough-as-nails Sanchez was so complete it bordered
on cartoonish. Going into the fight, Sanchez (21-3) had never
been stopped or even knocked down in a fight. Afterward, those
two prideful points could no longer be repeated.
Penn
knocked him down in the first round and spent the rest of the
fight's 23 minutes punishing Sanchez anytime he got within striking
distance. At the conclusion of Penn's epic performance, Sanchez
looked like he'd been attacked by a mob. He left the cage with
a lip split in two places, a deep gash on his forehead, a swollen
left eye, a suspected broken nose and assorted cuts. He was immediately
taken to the hospital for observation.
"I've
been doing this for 10 years, and I don't think I've ever seen
a guy as beat up as Diego was tonight," said UFC President
Dana White afterward.
According
to FightMetric.com, Penn landed 150 strikes to Sanchez's 8. That
is not a misprint. Final striking stats were 150-8.
From
that, we learn two things: 1) Sanchez's heart should never be
questioned, and 2) Penn is clearly on a level all his own as
a lightweight.
As
the days tick down on this decade and we move on to 2010, it
seems obvious that Penn -- who turned 31 in the wee hours after
UFC 107 -- is not even close to slowing down. In a strange irony,
perhaps all those years of living his laidback Hawaiian lifestyle
-- even during times he was supposed to be training -- may help
extend his career. While his peers were putting miles of wear
and tear on their bodies in the gym, Penn was often coasting
on raw talent. But now, while his peers are hanging on to glory
days by their fingernails, Penn is in the conversation as the
best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.
"Really
at this point, at 155 it's hard to see who will have a definitive
shot to take him out," said former heavyweight champ Frank
Mir, who submitted Cheick Kongo on Saturday and doubles as an
MMA analyst for the Versus network. "Maybe if you can wrestle
him to death and keep great position, but that's hard to do for
five rounds with a guy who might knock you out or submit you.
He's a tough number to pull for anybody. He's one of the best
fighters in the world."
Time
is the most valuable commodity in the world.
It
heals wounds. It brings knowledge. It provides perspective.
Lucky
for us, BJ Penn has more of it.
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
DYNAMITE!!
2009 UPDATE
More Bouts Confirmed for Dynamite!! 2009
By FCF Staff
Dream
and World Victory Road have confirmed several more match-ups
for the promotions joint New Years Eve venture, which will take
place at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. The card
is set to feature mixed-martial-arts and kickboxing bouts and
will be broadcast on HDNet throughout North America.
In
a notable featherweight tilt, Norifumi Kid Yamamoto will take
on Masanori Kanehara. Yamamoto (17-2) recently returned to MMA
competition in May and lost by Split Decision to accomplished
wrestler Joe Warren at Dream 9. Kanehara (15-7-5) hasnt fought
since August, when he worked his way to a Split Decision victory
over Michihiro Omigawa, to win Sengokus featherweight grand-prix.
In
a bout between two of Japans more established veterans, Hayato
Sakurai will fight Akihiro Gono. In Sakurais (35-9-2) last outing,
the renowned veteran was stopped by Marius Zaromskis, in the
July semi-finals of Dreams welterweight grand-prix. Gono (30-15-7)
fought in November at Sengoku 11, and earned a Unanimous Decision
victory over Yoon Young Kim.
Other
bouts that have been confirmed for the card include Katsuyori
Shibata vs. Hiroshi Izumi, Marlon Sandro vs. Hideo Tokoro, Michihiro
Omigawa vs. Hiroyuki Takaya, and Kazayuki Fujita vs. Alistair
Overeem.
Dynamite!!
will also feature a bout between Judo gold medalists Hidehiko
Yoshida and Satoshi Ishii, as well as the Super Hulk finale between
Thierry Rameau Sokoudjou and Ikuhisa Minowa.
Two
of the K-1 match-ups confirmed for the card include Masato vs.
Andy Souwer and Yosuke Nishijima vs. Ray Sefo.
Source:
Full Contact Fighter
|
UFC
PLANS COLORADO AND VERSUS ON MARCH 21
by Ken Pishna
Its been more than a year and a half since the Ultimate Fighting
Championship held an event in Colorado, the promotions launching
pad in 1993.
Initial
reports provided conflicting information over when the UFC would
return to the Centennial State, but MMAWeekly.com has confirmed
March 21 at The Odeum Colorado as the date and venue.
It
is expected to be the first UFC event to air on Versus as part
of a new agreement between the network and Zuffa, LLC, the parent
company to both the UFC and World Extreme Cagefighting. Sherdog.com
was the first to report that the event would air on Versus.
A
bout between light heavyweights Brandon Vera and Jon Jones is
expected to headline. Vera on Tuesday night posted a bulletin
via his Twitter account confirming the fight.
UFC
president Dana White, on a Wednesday conference call announcing
the new agreement with Versus, hinted at the event.
This
will be like a Fight Night card. Weve got some plans right now,
the fight were talking about putting on the first fight on Versus,
(its) gonna be a good one, really good.
Vera
(11-4) was originally scheduled to face Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
at UFC 109. Nogueira, however, suffered an ankle injury prior
to his UFC 106 victory over Luiz Cane on Nov. 21, and has been
slow to recover, forcing him to withdraw from the bout.
Jones
(9-1) enters the bout following a disqualification loss to Matt
Hamill at the recent Ultimate Fighter season 10 finale. Jones
camp is challenging the disqualification, asking for a reversal
of the referees decision.
The
last time the UFC was in Colorado was on April 2, 2008, when
Kenny Florian defeated Joe Lauzon in the main event of UFC Fight
Night 13 at the Broomfield Event Center.
The
Broomfield Event Center has been dark since September due to
a change in management. It will re-open on March 5, rechristened
The Odeum Colorado, just in time to welcome the UFC.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Jones
Files Formal Appeal Over Hamill DQ
by Brian Knapp
A
management team representing light heavyweight Jon Jones this
week filed a formal appeal with the Nevada State Athletic Commission
requesting that his disqualification loss to Matt Hamill at The
Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale on Dec. 5 in Las Vegas be overturned.
Jones,
who entered the bout unbeaten, was disqualified by referee Steve
Mazzagatti after he struck Hamill with repeated illegal downward
elbows to the face.
In
the complaint, Ryan Ciotoli and Gary Marino of BombSquad Sports
Management called the criteria used to determine whether or not
Hamill could continue flawed, citing Mazzagattis decision to
ask Hamill, a legally deaf athlete whose vision had been impaired
by blood, Are you done? The complaint also claims that proper
protocol was not followed, since none of the ringside physicians
assessed Hamills condition prior to the stoppage.
If
the referee believed that the injury was due to a foul, Mr. Hamill
should have been given the appropriate amount of time to recover,
the complaint reads. At minimum, Mr. Hamill should have had [the]
opportunity to clearly understand what was being asked of him
and given the ability to respond.
The
complaint also cites a statement posted on Hamills Web site in
which he pointed to a shoulder injury he suffered during a takedown
prior to the illegal blows. I knew it was probably over at that
point, Hamill wrote. Jones representatives also called into question
the use of instant replay and the decision that was based upon
it. Their independent review, according to the complaint, shows
that the illegal blows did not cause the lacerations to Hamills
face.
It
is clear that the elbows that were deemed illegal were in fact
not the blows that caused the facial cuts, the complaint reads.
In fact, on the tape you can clearly see that with 1:30 remaining
in the first round, the bridge of Mr. Hamills nose was cut open
and blood was starting to flow. The illegal blows however were
not thrown, nor was Mr. Jones given a warning by the referee,
until 1:05 minutes remaining in the first round.
Furthermore,
according to the complaint, Jones threw 27 legal blows during
the 25-second interval in question, accelerating the facial injuries
Hamill sustained. In light of the evidence as they see it, Jones
representatives have requested the decision be changed from a
loss to a win, though they would settle for a no contest, should
the commission determine that the footage is not sufficient to
determine which blows in fact caused the vital injury.
Source:
Sherdog
|
Matt
Hughes confirms fight with Renzo at UFC 112,
in Abu Dhabi
by Gabriel
Menezes
 
Renzo Gracies debut in the UFC is nearing fulfillment, as GRACIEMAG.com
reported last month. On the occasion, the Gracie hinted that
he would appear at UFC 112, on April 10 in Abu Dhabi, against
former UFC champion Matt Hughes.
Now,
though, it was Matt Hughess turn to confirm it on his official
website:
I
didnt know if I could say anything about my next fight, but I
see that Dana has let the cat out of the bag. So I can tell you
what I know, on April 10th I will be fighting Renzo Gracie in
Abu Dhabi, wrote Hughes. I didnt know if I could say anything
about my next fight, but I see that Dana has let the cat out
of the bag. Matt Hughes
I
havent signed any paperwork and I dont think Renzo has either;
but I think this fight is going to happen. Thats all I know,
serious training will start for me at the New Year.
At
the top of his 42 years of age, Renzo, too, showed his excitement
about his debut, voicing it in with his trademark philosophical
aphorisms. Its the perfect matchup. The beat-downs going to happen.
And as Nietzchian as I can put it: better earlier than later,
declared the black belt in an interview published on GRACIEMAG.com
on November 12.
Source:
Gracie Magazine
|
The
latest negotation happenings for the Mayweather/Pacquiao fight
By Zach Arnold
 
We know theres bad blood between Floyd Mayweather and Bob Arum,
but the news today that Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy didnt
want to have a meeting with Jerry Jones to hold the event at
Cowboys Stadium in Dallas is baffling. Its a beautiful start-of-the-art
venue in a state where theres no income tax. The move has prompted
Arum to hand over negotiations on his side to Todd duBoef.
To
Jerry Jones credit, he sent a proposal on Thursday night to keep
Cowboys Stadium open as a possibility. The two venues publicly
discussed as in play are JerryWorld and the MGM Grand Garden
Arena in Las Vegas.
Staples
Center, according to Pacquiaos camp, is a no-go because of Californias
notoriously high state-income tax. The claim is that Pacquiao
would pay up to $5 million USD more in taxes if he fought in
California instead of Nevada or Texas.
Source:
Fight Opinion
|
Ribeiro
wants experience before the UFC
By Guilherme Cruz
Every fighters dream is to be in the biggest MMA event o the
world, and it isnt different with Alexandre Ribeiro. Two times
absolute BJJ world champion, the black belt surprised with two
TKO victories in the MMA, and wants to stay on Sengoku to feel
more comfortable on the rings.
I have a contract with Sengoku and I want to stay there to have
more experience. As much experience, better. If they do a GP,
Ill have an opportunity to fight for a belt, explains the fighter.
If its the natural order of things [go to the UFC], but I want
to obey my contract on Sengoku, maybe fight a GP, and then to
fight in America, wheres my base, where I have my students.
Leading Diego Sanchezs trains at Universidade do Jiu-Jitsu beside
Saulo Ribeiro, the black belt reveal that the relationship with
UFC is good. With Diegos training were always on the event and
we had this conversation, its normal. Any fighter has the aim
to fight UFC, guarantees.
RECOVERING AND RETURN
On the ADCC openweight final, Ribeiro suffered an injury and
had to keep away from trainings for a long time. Recovering,
the black belt expects to be back to rings on beginning of 2010.
I made physiotherapy, strengthening and stretching a month and
a half ago. I gave myself a month to rest and Im training Im
not confident about the biceps yet, but I want to be back to
trains in January, tells.
Out of the Jiu-Jitsu Worlds of this year because of an injury,
Xande guarantees that hes into everything thats happening on
competitions. Besides Im away, Im always training, following
the news, whos winning and losing. Im with eyes wide open to
the new trends to be good on the Worlds, Xande finished.
Source:
Tatame
|
Dynamite
12/31 Saitama Super Arena
By Zach Arnold
DREAM
vs. Sengoku
Norifumi Kid Yamamoto vs. Masanori Kanehara
Hayato Mach Sakurai vs. Akihiro Gono
Katsuyori Shibata vs. Hiroshi Izumi
Hiroyuki Takaya vs. Michihiro Omigawa
Hideo Tokoro vs. Marlon Sandro
Alistair Overeem vs. Kazuyuki Fujita
K-1 matches
Ray Sefo vs. Yosuke Nishijima
Final match: Masato vs. Andy Souwer
MMA matches
Hidehiko Yoshida vs. Satoshi Ishii
Super Hulk Tournament finals: Minowaman vs. Sokoudjou
Source:
Fight Opinion
|
NBC
Sale May Open Door for UFC, White Hints
by Brian Knapp
The
recent sale of NBC to Comcast, which also owns the Versus network,
could conceivably pave the way for World Extreme Cagefighting
and UFC programming on major network television for the first
time.
You
never know, UFC President Dana White said during a Wednesday
teleconference. Its obviously very interesting.
The
UFC this week announced plans to air two UFC Fight Night-style
shows on Versus in 2010 in a move that could help spur wider
interest in the network and ultimately the WEC. The UFCs sister
promotion, home to some of the worlds premier lighter weight
fighters, will hold its final show of the year this Saturday
in Las Vegas.
Its
great for the UFC, Versus and the WEC, said White, who called
Comcast and Versus great partners and praised them for their
commitment to mixed martial arts. It will draw a lot of attention
to the Versus network to have to UFC events on there.
No
date for the UFC debut on Versus was announced.
After
the first of the year, well get something locked down, said Marc
Fein, executive vice president of programming, production and
business operations for Versus. We want to maximize the viewing
audience.
White
reiterated his hope to land the WEC on pay-per-view but indicated
there were no plans to cross-pollinate between the two brands.
Theyre
two separate companies, he said. Our goal has been to get the
WEC on pay-per-view. There are so many dates taken, between us,
the WWE and boxing. Its a lot more than just throwing something
on pay-per-view.
Source:
Sherdog
|
Quote
of the Day
"Wherever
you go, go with all your heart."
Confucius
|
STRIKEFORCE
ON CBS IN APRIL WITH FEDOR & HENDO (UPDATED)
Strikeforce will be under the CBS eye for the second time in
April.
CBS
Primetime Senior Executive Vice President Kelly Kahl on Tuesday
confirmed exclusively to MMAWeekly.com that the network was planning
to broadcast a second card with the San Jose, Calif.-based promotion
in April on a date yet to be announced.
“We’re
looking at a few different dates and there are venue considerations,”
said Kahl.
The
card will air in its usual Saturday at 9 p.m. ET slot, with a
tape-delayed broadcast on the West Coast.
Kahl
said prized Strikeforce heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko will appear
on the card against an opponent to be determined. In October,
the promotion’s current heavyweight champion, Alistair Overeem,
called the Russian out for an April meeting.
Also
due to appear is recent signee Dan Henderson, who left the UFC
this month in a highly publicized move. Henderson’s opponent
is also TBA, though Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker told Steve Cofield
of Yahoo! Sports that Henderson’s first opponent was likely
current middleweight champion Jake Shields. Shields’ manager/father,
Jack Shields, declined comment on the match-up.
Kahl
said the Emelianenko and Henderson bouts would likely be the
co-main events on the card. Further details on the event's roster
would be finalized shortly.
“Coming
off a successful November show, we look forward to being back
in the cage,” he said.
Stay
tuned to MMAWeekly.com as further details become available.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
"FRANK
MIR: CARWIN IS A BETTER VERSION OF LESNAR
Don’t
get Frank Mir wrong – he’d like nothing more than a
rematch with Brock Lesnar. He wants to show the fans, Lesnar,
and most of all, himself, that the heavyweight champion's size
is not an insurmountable obstacle.
But
time moves fast inside the Octagon, and faster still in the unofficial
rankings of division competitors
Antonio
Rodrigo Nogueira and Cain Velasquez are on a collision course
for February in a fight with future title implications.
With
Lesnar’s future in the balance, Mir says he’s ready
to look elsewhere in the meantime.
An
interim fight with Shane Carwin is a match-up that’s logical.
Carwin,
who was due to face Lesnar next, needs to stay busy. Between
him, "Big Nog," Velasquez, and Mir, the makings of
an interim title tournament are in place.
“I
couldn’t argue against that,” said Mir. “Carwin
is a phenomenal match-up, and I think if I can’t fight Brock
again to show that I’ve made improvements against that style,
I think Shane Carwin is a more than an ample substitution. If
anything, I think he’s a better version.”
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
NEW
WEC DEAL WITH VERSUS INCLUDES UFC BONUS
Versus on Monday revealed details of a multi-year extension with
Zuffa, LLC, the parent company of the Ultimate Fighting Championship
and World Extreme Cagefighting.
Versus
has aired WEC bouts since June 2007, shortly after Zuffa took
control of the promotion. The extension, however, adds the WEC’s
big brother to the mix. In addition to airing seven live WEC
events in 2010, the network will also carry two live UFC events.
The
move not only expands Versus’ mixed martial arts offerings,
but also marks the first time the UFC has stepped off of its
Spike TV and pay-per-view platform to offer live events.
Part
of the deal, according to Versus.com writer Ariel Helwani, includes
digital media rights, which allows Versus.com to “air one
non-televised fight and behind-the-scenes footage from each live
WEC event.”
Versus
president Jamie Davis revealed that the age of the network’s
average viewer is 45, while viewers of MMA events on Versus average
an age of 36. The younger viewer is key in luring advertisers
– who tend to covet the Men 18-35 and Men 18-49 demographics
– leading Versus to strengthen its MMA programming.
Versus
will also continue its other WEC offerings such as its WrekCage
series, highlight shows, and specials.
While
it’s not surprising that Versus would renew its efforts
with the WEC, the eyeball opening aspect of the agreement is,
of course, that addition of two live UFC events to sweeten the
deal.
The
UFC is the leading mixed martial arts promotion in the world,
carrying the weight of brand awareness that the WEC just doesn’t
have. By adding the juggernaut to the mix, Versus is likely using
the UFC to draw more viewers to the network in an effort to raise
awareness for its WEC programming.
An
interesting aside to the agreement is Comcast’s potential
acquisition of NBC Universal. Comcast also owns Versus. If the
NBC acquisition is approved, Comcast, according to The New York
Times and other media outlets, is poised to rebrand Versus and
position it as a potential competitor to ESPN.
Details
regarding the two additional UFC events on Versus were not yet
available.
The
next live MMA event on Versus is WEC 45: Cerrone vs. Ratcliff,
which airs Saturday night at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
UFC
VIDEO GAME WINS; NEW VERSION DUE ON MAY 25
Lost amidst the shuffle of a busy UFC 107 weekend, the promotion’s
UFC 2009 Undisputed video game, produced by THQ, was awared the
year’s Best Individual Sports Game at the Spike Video Game
Awards 2009.
The
game bested more established titles Fight Night Round 4 and Tiger
Woods PGA Tour 10, as well as Wii Sports Resort, for the honor.
UFC
2009 Undisputed reportedly sold more than 1,000,000 units in
its first month on sale, leading to great success for THQ.
“We
reported the highest June-quarter net sales and net income in
our history, driven primarily by the success of our hit title
UFC 2009 Undisputed," said Brian Farrell, THQ president
and chief executive officer.
A
preview of the upcoming UFC 2010 Undisputed premiered at the
VGAs (watch it below), introduced by The Ultimate Fighter 10
star Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson.
UFC
2010 Undisputed is slated to hit stores on May 25, 2010.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
THE
FATE OF GINA CARANO
The face of women’s MMA may not be back until summer 2010,
according to Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker.
Gina
Carano, 27, is currently shooting a starring role in the Stephen
Soderbergh-helmed film “Knockout.” She reportedly plays
a fighter who’s hired by the government to become a spy.
When
asked for an update on when Carano would return to the Strikeforce
cage, Coker said, “that’s a good question.”
“Her
agent and I have been in dialogue,” he added. “We had
talked about having her fight again, but not fighting on Dec.
19. She’s going to acting classes, I heard, and doing a
lot of weapons training, doing what they do.”
The
Strikeforce executive has followed this route before. The promotion’s
other crossover star, Cung Le, relinquished his middleweight
title in September when a blossoming movie career overtook his
fighting responsibilities. Le will return to the cage on Dec.
19 after a 21-month absence.
Coker
said he wanted to meet with Carano before making any decisions
on how to manage the situation.
“I’d
like to sit down with her face-to-face probably in the next 30
days or so, and sit down and see where her head’s at,”
he said. “By all means, we would love to have her back,
and we would love to have her fight again. I think in her heart
she’s still a fighter.”
Amid
much fanfare, Carano lost her Strikeforce debut in August, falling
prey to Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos in a bout for the
newly created 145-pound divisional women’s title. She went
into virtual seclusion afterwards, offering but one comment on
the loss.
“I
know I am a better fighter than the way I performed that night
and was heartbroken to not give more to those who have been inspired,”
she wrote in a prepared statement. “However, I find some
relief in knowing that this has never been only about me, and
now more than ever I feel freedom to learn and grow at my own
pace.”
Regulars
at Xtreme Couture, where she logged most of her training hours,
say she’s been MIA since the fight.
One
of Carano’s chief trainers, Chris Ben-Tchavtchavadze, said
Monday that she had been living in San Diego with family and
hadn’t spoken of a return. He said the spotlight of her
last fight overwhelmed her and she needed to get her mind in
the right place for a return.
“She
went out and fought Cyborg’s fight,” he said. “If
she fought her fight, it would be a different story.”
For
those expecting Carano to surface post-movie, Coker had a very
conservative timetable.
“What
her representatives are saying is something in the summertime,”
he said.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
WEC
ANNOUNCES BOWLES VS. CRUZ
World Extreme Cagefighting is officially headed to Arnold country.
The
promotion on Monday announced WEC 47: Bowles vs. Cruz, slated
for March 6 at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.
The
weekend holds significance for Zuffa, LLC, parent company of
the lighter-weighted promotion. For the last three years, a UFC
pay-per-view has occupied the Saturday night slot held in the
midst of the Arnold Sports Festival, a bodybuilding, fitness,
and martial arts expo.
With
the UFC headed to Newark, N.J., in late March, an opportunity
opened.
"Knowing
that the weekend draws tens of thousands of the sporting world’s
best athletes and enthusiasts to Columbus, WEC is proud to present
the best of the best in the lighter weight classes in an event
that is a ‘can’t miss’ for MMA fans,” said
WEC General Manager Reed Harris.
Bantamweight
champion Brian Bowles (8-0), who injured his left hand in his
title-winning victory over the dominant Miguel Torres, will defend
his title for the first time against Dominic Cruz in the card's
main event.
“I’m
ready to defend my title,” Bowles said in the release. “Dominick
is an elusive fighter and hard to hit, but I think I’ll
connect with my punches. I’ve worked really hard to get
this title and I want people to respect me. This fight is my
chance to prove that I’m the best 135-pounder in the sport.”
Cruz
(15-1) earned his contendership with four straight WEC victories,
most recently an impressive decision over Joseph Benavidez at
WEC 42.
“You
know how a lot of champions get emotional when they win that
belt?” Cruz said in the release. “I think the reason
they are crying is because they see all of the sacrifices they
put in to win that belt paying off right then and there. The
same thing is going to happen to me, and the meaning of it will
come together when I win that title. I’m going to beat Brian
Bowles.”
Former
bantamweight champion Torres (37-2) is scheduled to return on
the Spring card, though his opponent remains TBA.
Meanwhile,
former UFC lightweight champion Jens Pulver (22-12-1) makes a
return to action silencing, for now, talk of retirement. His
opponent also remains TBA.
The
event will broadcast live on WEC broadcast partner Versus at
10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.
Tickets
for the event go on sale March 19 at the Nationwide Arena Ticket
Office or Ticketmaster. A special pre-sale for WEC newsletter
subscribers begins Dec. 17 at 10 a.m.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
JOHN
GUNDERSON IN AGAINST RAFAELLO OLIVEIRA
As riddled with injuries as UFC 108 has been, another late replacement
has stepped in for the card as former IFL lightweight John Gunderson
will make his Octagon debut. He faces Rafaello Oliviera in a
lightweight match-up on the card.
The
news was confirmed by Oliveira's trainer, AMA Fight Club leader
Mike Constantino, to MMAWeekly.com on Monday night.
Oliviera
was originally scheduled to face former UFC lightweight champion
Sean Sherk, but a late injury to Tyson Griffin forced him out
of his fight with Jim Miller. So Sherk was bumped up to the main
card to face Miller instead.
This
will be Oliviera's second trip to the Octagon. The first was
a decision loss to Nik Lentz. He will look to bounce back against
Gunderson on Jan. 2.
Gunderson
comes to the UFC on a three-fight win streak, with his most recent
fight taking place in October, when he defeated Steve Sharp.
The
former IFL lightweight is 22-6 overall with wins over opponents
like Mike Joy and Cam Ward. He has competed in several different
organizations over the years.
The
bout will take place on the UFC 108 undercard. Stay tuned to
MMAWeekly.com for more information on this card if any more changes
are made.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
PRANGLEY
OUT; LAWLER WAITING FOR NEW OPPONENT
Robbie Lawler went nearly a year between bouts his last time
out, and is currently six months between fights, hoping that
Strikeforce can find him a new opponent by Saturday night.
Lawler
learned today that Trevor Prangley, who was a replacement for
his initial opponent, Benji Radach, has had to withdraw from
Strikeforce: Evolution due to an undisclosed injury.
The
news was first reported by Sherdog.com, and independently confirmed
to MMAWeekly.com by Strikeforce executive Mike Afromowitz.
Lawler
last fought in a headlining effort, losing to Jake Shields in
June. He sat out for nearly a year prior to that bout when EliteXC,
where he was the middleweight champion, quickly disintegrated.
There
was no word on a new opponent for Lawler at the time of publication.
Cung
Le vs. Scott Smith and Josh Thomson vs. Gilbert Melendez headline
Strikeforce: Evolution Saturday night at the HP Pavilion in San
Jose, Calif. The main card airs on Showtime.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
KEY
BOUTS ANNOUNCED FOR UFC 110 IN AUSTRALIA
The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s debut event in Sydney,
Australia, UFC 110, was the second fastest sell-out in its history,
according to the promotion. And that was without formally announcing
the fight card.
“We
knew we had an unbelievably passionate fan base in Australia,
but we are blown away by the speed of the sell-out,” said
UFC Managing Director of International Development, Marshall
Zelaznik.
“What
is even more incredible is that we completely sold out without
even confirming a single fight on the card. Our fans trust us
to bring the very best fights and fighters Down Under.”
The
UFC late Monday night released six bouts for the Feb. 21 fight
card, scheduled for the 16,500-seat Acer Arena.
Heading
the card are a heavyweight bout between former interim champion
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and rising star Cain Velasquez, and
the middleweight debut of Wanderlei Silva, who faces British
superstar Michael Bisping.
The
winner between Nogueira and Velasquez immediately vaults into
a key position in the heavyweight division.
Once
heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar’s health situation clears
up, whether that means a return to fight or further surgery that
will put him out indefinitely, the title picture will clear up.
At that point, the winner of Nogueira/Velasquez is in a prime
position to either move into an interim title bout, or challenge
the winner of Lesnar vs. Carwin should that bout finally take
place.
Other
bouts announced include Joe Steven vs. George Sotiropoulos, Keith
Jardine vs. Ryan Bader, Ben Rothwell vs. Mirko “Cro Cop”
Filipovic, and Elvis Sinosic vs. Chris Haseman.
UFC
110 takes place live in Sydney on Sunday, Feb. 21, but the time
difference will allow for it to air live on pay-per-view in the
United States in the promotion’s usual Saturday night at
7 p.m. PT/10 p.m. ET.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
THIAGO
ALVES TO RETURN AT UFC 111 IN NEW JERSEY
Former welterweight contender Thiago Alves will make his return
to action at UFC 111 on March 27, 2010.
Alves
suffered a PCL tear in training for a bout with Jon Fitch at
UFC 107, but has recently begun training again, according to
his representative, Malki Kawa of First Round Management.
An
opponent for the American Top Team standout is not confirmed
at this time.
Alves,
26, last appeared at UFC 100, where he lost a title bid against
dominant champion Georges St-Pierre in a five-round war. Afterwards,
he booked the fight with Fitch to avenge a 2006 loss to the American
Kickboxing Academy fighter.
Kawa
said Alves wants to get a rematch with St-Pierre as soon as possible.
He’ll likely have to get a couple strong performances in
first. Kawa could not confirm whether Fitch was the immediate
opponent on the horizon.
St-Pierre
heads UFC 111 in a title defense against popular British fighter
Dan Hardy at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
VOLKMANN
TARGETED FOR KAMPMANN AT UFC 108
Jacob Volkmann has been targeted to replace Rory Markham in a
welterweight contest against Martin Kampmann at UFC 108.
Sherdog.com
was the first to report the possible bout. MMAWeekly.com sources
said while the bout is not signed, both parties have agreed to
it.
Markham
withdrew last week on his doctor's advice with a pulled Achilles
heel.
UFC
108 is slated for the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Jan. 2 in Las
Vegas. The card has been ravaged by injuries.
Volkmann,
29, fell short last month in his Octagon debut at UFC 106, dropping
a unanimous decision to Paulo Thiago. It was the first setback
for the Minnesota Mixed Martial Arts Academy pupil in 10 fights.
Kampmann,
meanwhile, was bested by Paul Daley in his last outing at UFC
103, his first loss at welterweight. Daley, who was scheduled
to face Carlos Condit on the New Year's card, is now set to face
Dustin Hazelett after Condit withdrew due to a hand injury.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
"The
easiest thing to be in the world is you. The most difficult thing
to be is what other people want you to be. Don't let them put
you in that position."
Leo
Buscaglia
|
MMA
at Level 4 This Saturday!
Niko Vitale
and Jay Bolos is putting together an MMA event at Level 4 at
the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center this Saturday. The fights
start at 5:30 pm so get there early! |
DANA
WHITE: BOSTON NEXT SUMMER, HAWAII TOO
It’s no big secret that UFC president Dana White has longed
to take his brand of mixed martial arts to one of his favorite
places on Earth... Boston. The recent passage of legislation
sanctioning the sport in Massachusetts finally opened the door
for the brash UFC executive.
White
confirmed on Saturday night at the UFC 107 post-fight press conference
that the target is summer of 2010 at the TD Garden (a.k.a. the
Boston Garden), a venue he has long coveted
“(Boston’s)
a personal one for me. I've been waiting a long time to get this,”
he told a flock of reporters. “So many guys are injured
now, it'll be a stacked card. We're gonna blow this one out.”
He
didn’t reveal any specific names at this point, but there
is a laundry list of champions and top contenders that are currently
on the sidelines. White did reveal, however, while the Garden
is first, he’s got even bigger plans for Massachusetts.
“We're
gonna go to the Garden first, but we'll do Fenway too. Fenway
wants us too,” he stated.
Fenway
Park is the home to Major League Baseball’s Boston Red Sox.
It houses roughly 37,000 fans for a baseball game.
Though
he surely wants to get to Fenway as soon as possible, White has
long said the promotion’s first stadium show would be in
Hawaii, more than likely headlined by lightweight champion B.J.
Penn. And it sounds as if 2010 will be the year the UFC lands
in Hawaii.
“We’re
looking to take this thing to all the different markets we haven’t
been this year, and Hawaii is definitely on the radar. And we
will be doing a stadium there.”
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
UFC
107 REPORTS $1.5 MILLION ON 13,869 FANS
UFC lightweight champion B.J. Penn once again came out on top,
dominating Diego Sanchez to defend his belt Saturday night in
Memphis.
UFC
107 drew a reported 13,869 fans to the FedEx Forum, according
to UFC officials. They said the gate receipts for the event were
north of $1.5 million.
Even
though it wasn’t one of the promotion’s highest revenue
generating events, the UFC still handed down bonuses of $65,000
for Knockout of the Night, Submission of the Night, and Fight
of the Night. All the awards went to preliminary card fighters.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
"NIGHTMARE"
WAS "JUST ANOTHER FIGHT" FOR BJ PENN
Many
in attendance at UFC 107 called B.J. Penn’s TKO victory
over Diego Sanchez –his fourth lightweight title defense
– the best performance in his eight-year career as a mixed
martial artist.
But
for Penn, it was just another fight. The 31-year-old Hilo, Hawaii,
native cited welterweight boxing champion Manny Pacquiao as inspiration
for his performance.
“I
just like watching Pacquiao, how he throws punches in bunches,
and he’s fast,” he said after the fight. “You
might get away from the first two or three, but the two or three
coming behind that are gonna hit you. I kinda figured that out.”
Sanchez,
27, charged in aggressively, but met stiff resistance from Penn’s
hands. One punch in the first round nearly ended it all, but
Sanchez kept coming forward, hoping to cinch a takedown.
Penn
said he received several requests from Sanchez to train with
him but turned them down, expecting Sanchez just wanted to scout
his skills.
He
was surprised the “TUF” alum kept coming forward after
he connected.
“He
recovers very well,” said Penn. “I hit him with some
big shots. He recovered quick and kept going.”
The
champion declined to speculate on his future, saying he’d
like to enjoy Saturday’s victory.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
JON
FITCH WANTS THE TOUGHEST FIGHTS POSSIBLE
If
you’re a name fighter, it’s always a risk to step into
the cage with an unknown fighter.
Jon
Fitch had little to gain and a lot to lose in his fight with
Mike Pierce Saturday night at UFC 107, but he didn’t care,
and hasn’t cared for some time.
“I’ve
asked Joe Silva a long time ago to give me the toughest guys
he can find, regardless of who they are or whether or not people
know who they are,” Fitch told MMAWeekly.com after the fight.
“And he always comes up with these super tough guys.”
Pierce,
29, took the fight to Fitch on every level, but fell short in
the first 10 minutes of wrestling centered action. In the third,
though, he hammered the former Purdue wrestler with punches.
It
looked like trouble in the fight’s final minutes.
The
31-year-old Fitch didn’t give much weight to those exchanges,
but praised Pierce’s toughness.
“Mike
Pierce will have some good wins and make a name for himself in
the UFC,” he said.
Like
many of the welterweights and lightweights in the UFC, Fitch
is biding time in a division dominated by one man. After eight
decisions inside the Octagon, he said his current path isn’t
all about the belt (though it would be nice).
“I
wanted to grow as a fighter, and I was trying to finish,”
he said. “I wanted to do something he wasn’t expecting.”
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Lyoto
Machida
UFC
light heavyweight champion, Lyoto Machida talked to TATAME in
Rio de Janeiro about his recovering, after the hand surgery,
and the changes to the rematch against Maurício “Shogun”,
on UFC. On the chat that you see below, the karate man revealed
that he wouldn’t like to face Rogério “Minotouro”,
who recently debuted with knock out on UFC, and may train with
Anderson Silva to return to the octagon. Check below the exclusive
interview.
What
happened with your hand, was it after the fight with Shogun?
Did you have to make a surgery, how’s the recovering?
In
eight days I’ll take the immobilizer off, but I’m training
the aerobic, running to keep my prepare and to recover faster.
I made a surgery five days after the fight and took little pieces
from bones, I expect to be hitting and training again in January.
The physiotherapy starts in a week.
And
the fight with Shogun, hen it’s gonna be?
It’s
verbally agreed, but, for now, that’s nothing on the contract
yet. But it was promised and this fight will happen.
Shogun
studied your game a lot and you, as a strategically fighter,
what do you intend to change?
I
think that we’ve learned a lot with this fight, both of
us. It was a fight that I maybe needed to pass hard times to
develop. I didn’t stop yet to analyze the changes that will
happen because I’ll start the training in January, and for
now I’m recovering physically and mentally.
And
the training? Will you keep training in Belém or will
you train in Los Angeles with Anderson?
Anderson
and I always meet and train a little together, but he has other
commitments too and it’s hard to take Anderson away from
this focus right now. If we have the opportunity to meet we’ll
train together, if we don’t, I’ll keep doing my regular
training.
Minotouro
is coming... Who do you think that will gonna be fighting for
the belt on 2010?
There’s
a lot of people, a lot of Brazilians, what’s good to the
sport and to everybody. The thing narrows each time more and
everybody knows that my category ist he most disputed, so I have
to worry about me to keep this belt for a long time.
How
would it be a fight between you two? Would you fight?
I
think it’s hard that fight happens, we have the same manager,
we’re from the same team and we have a good relationship.
From me and from him, that’s not a god fight to happen,
but we’re here to face other fighters. Let’s see what
will happen from now on.
And
the fight between Rashad and Thiago? You already knocked both
out. How do you think this fight is gonna be?
It’s
a hard fight to analyze, both are very good and have a great
team, that’s a moment thing. Rashad fights strategically
and if Thiago is well prepared he’s dangerous... You’ll
only know on time.
Source:
Tatame
|
Mir
makes his case for Lesnar trilogy
MEMPHIS,
Tenn. – Frank Mir took step one in his “Vision Quest”
on Saturday night when he leapfrogged a pack of hungry UFC heavyweights
to what could be the biggest money match in company history.
In
the 1985 movie, Matthew Modine played a wrestler who was totally
and completely obsessed with beating a muscular monster named
“Shute,” the unbeatable local high school wrestling
champion.
“Shute”
was a fictional character. At least he was until 1999, when Brock
Lesnar showed up at the University of Minnesota, a decade later
became the living embodiment of that character as the UFC heavyweight
champion.
Like
the lead character in the movie, Mir, who steamrolled Cheick
Kongo on Saturday night at UFC 107, seems completely obsessed
with getting a shot at the monster who beat, taunted and humiliated
him after winning at UFC 100, the biggest show in North American
MMA history, on July 11.
The
moment is hard to forget for anyone who saw it, as Lesnar’s
post-fight behavior became the biggest story in sports for a
few days. But it’s harder still for Mir, the loser of the
match.
A
week ago, there was very little interest in a third Mir vs. Lesnar
fight because of how handily Lesnar beat Mir the last time. But
now, provided Mir doesn’t lose and Lesnar can return, the
fight would likely do more business than any fight the UFC would
put on in 2010.
Mir
(14-4) may not be the rightful No. 1 contender, but there is
no other heavyweight who would garner anywhere near the public
interest, as much because of Mir’s verbal talents as his
physical ones. In a world where hype overrides substance in drumming
up interest, Mir reigns supreme as the UFC’s best talker
among fighters.
Of
course, no matter how well a fighter talks, you still have to
win your way to title shots, and Mir did so in impressive fashion
Saturday, needing only 1:12 to beat Kongo (24-6-1) at the FedEx
Forum.
The
new Mir, coming in at 264.5 pounds, the heaviest of his career,
knocked Kongo down with a looping left hand, the first punch
he threw in the fight. On the ground, Mir grabbed a guillotine
choke and Kongo eventually passed out, stunning the crowd of
13,896.
Most
of the fans booed Mir when he came out, largely because of his
verbal taunts of Kongo on the countdown show that aired this
past week. Mir downgraded Kongo’s striking, saying it wasn’t
world class, and said that when it came to wrestling and submissions,
Kongo was the worst guy in the heavyweight division.
“When
you talk as much [expletive] as he did, you’d better back
it up,” UFC president Dana White said after the show.
Mir
made no bones about his desire to fight Lesnar, who is currently
battling a case of diverticulitis.
“The
first thing is, I want him to get healthy,” said Mir. “But
when he gets healthy, he may not want to get too healthy.”
Right
now, there is no target date for when Lesnar will be back in
the cage. It will be 4-6 weeks before doctors can determine how
well his recovery has gone and whether or not he will need major
surgery, which would put him out for several more months.
White
said if Lesnar needs the surgery, there will be an interim champion.
If not, they’ll get a contender ready. Shane Carwin was
initially the top contender, though he’s also out of action
with a knee injury. The other top contenders, Antonio Rodrigo
Nogueira and Cain Velasquez, are scheduled to fight on Feb. 21
in Sydney, Australia.
Mir
felt his performance should put him ahead of Velasquez, generally
thought to have the most potential at this point of the four
contenders.
“When
Velasquez beat Kongo, he couldn’t knock him out or submit
him in three rounds,” said Mir. “I almost knocked him
out and did submit him.”
But
if Mir could pick his next opponent, it would be Nogueira.
“He’s
talked a lot of crap about me,” said Mir, who is the only
person to have ever finished the legendary Brazilian in his entire
career, in a match where Nogueira clearly wasn’t himself
coming off a staph infection and a knee injury. “Look, he
could say it once, but he says it so often he might as well be
wearing a T-shirt that says ‘I had a staph infection and
a major knee injury when I fought Frank Mir.’
“But
if I was really bothered by it, I’d get back at him by never
giving him a rematch, that way I’d always have it over him.”
Mir
said that if Velasquez wins, he’d have no interest in the
Nogueira fight, feeling it wouldn’t at that point benefit
his career.
As
for his other two rivals for a title shot, Velasquez and Carwin,
Mir has his own scouting report.
“Cain
Velasquez, I feel, is the best wrestler in the division,”
he said. “And he’s got great cardio. But he’s
lacking punching power.”
“Shane
Carwin, he’s a better Brock Lesnar than Brock Lesnar. He’s
just as powerful, if not more powerful. But his defense is his
weakness. He got knocked down by Gabriel Gonzaga.”
Mir
was largely responsible for the late interest in the show with
his televised taunts of Kongo, as well as the unveiling of his
new physique, built on heavy powerlifting and Olympic lifting
movements. Mir felt he simply didn’t have the power to contend
with Lesnar in their second meeting, which came about after Mir
submitted Lesnar with a kneebar in 90 seconds in Lesnar’s
first UFC match.
But
there were a lot of questions whether adding so much weight so
quickly wouldn’t play havoc with his conditioning, since
even the smaller Mir had questionable stamina.
As
it turned out, that question was never answered.
“I
showed that I could rebound from a bad loss,” Mir said.
“I had all the pressure on me. Another loss would have been
devastating to my career. I talked so much that it put even more
pressure on me. But if you saw me walking to the ring, you could
see the pressure didn’t affect me.”
Mir’s
goal is to get up to around 280 pounds, when his previous best
conditioned weight was between 240-252.
“I
want to get to where I’m cutting 15-20 pounds just to make
265 pounds,” said Mir, regarding his goal for the Lesnar
showdown. “That’s going to take some time. But that
way I’ll be the same size he is. I may not be quite as strong
as he is, but I’ll be strong enough to neutralize his strength,
and then it will come down to who is the better technical fighter.
He will never be as technical a fighter as I am because he started
too late.”
Source:
Yahoo Sports
|
Nick
Diaz Returns in January
Nick Diaz will be fighting on January 30th in Miami, Florida.
The 26 year old will probably be the main event of what is shaping
up to be another great card for Strikeforce and Showtime television.
Diaz is on an impressive 5 fight win streak and will be looking
to become the Strikeforce Welterweight Champion in his next fight.
Strikeforce has promised an exciting opponent for Diaz's Championship
bout and we should be able to announce the match soon.
Source:
Gracie Fighter
|
Shields
Asks for Henderson
Jake Shields was elated upon hearing the news Strikeforce had
signed Dan Henderson. The Jiu-jitsu blackbelt has been on a 13
fight win streak and has steamrolled all challengers in Strikeforce
and in the now defunct EliteXC show.
Dan
Henderson is a big name fight. Having headlined several shows
in Pride and in the UFC, the veteran is the type of fighter a
true champion looks forward to facing. A win over the crafty
fighter at the 185lbs weight would catapult Shields to the top
of the world's pound for pound elite.
To
Jake it's always been about testing himself and looking for the
next challenge. In the past it seemed as if he would have to
go to the UFC in order to do that. Fortunately it now seems that
the UFC's best could very well be coming to him.
Source:
Gracie Fighter
|
Quote
of the Day
"Believe
you are defeated, believe it long enough, and it is likely to
become a fact."
Norman
Vincent Peale
|
Fighters'
Club TV Tonight!
Channel
52
8:00 PM!
If
you are not on the Onzuka.com Hawaii Ground forum, you are missing
the latest news from upcoming events, get to rub elbows with
numerous promoters and fighters, and get to voice your opinion
on any subject you can dream up. Hit the links above to sign
up for a free account and start posting away!
|
Penn
a man among lightweight boys
MEMPHIS,
Tenn. – There are a lot of good lightweight fighters in
the world. There is, however, only one great one.
And
while B.J. Penn proved his greatness yet again with a dominant
fifth-round stoppage of Diego Sanchez in their lightweight title
bout Saturday at UFC 107 in the FedEx Forum, he created something
of a problem for Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana
White and matchmaker Joe Silva:
Whom
do you match with Penn at 155 who can even remotely give him
a close fight?
There
doesn’t appear to be anyone on the horizon. Gray Maynard
is likely next up, and Frankie Edgar is on a roll. Neither, though,
seem to have the all-around game that Penn possesses and that
they’ll need to survive 25 minutes in the cage with him,
much less win.
Jose
Aldo, the featherweight champion in World Extreme Cagefighting,
has the frame and the ability, but he’s probably at least
a year, if not more, away from being ready to move up and fight
at lightweight. By that time, Penn will likely be butting heads
with the welterweights with the goal of securing another bout
with welterweight kingpin Georges St. Pierre.
“It’s
hard to pick out any weaknesses in B.J.,” said heavyweight
Frank Mir, who was exceptionally impressive in his own right
Saturday in a first-round stoppage of Cheick Kongo. “First
and foremost, he’s a great athlete, which is a phenomenal
foundation to start off with. But like Dana said, that’s
kind of what he coasted on before. He’s a great technician
when it comes to submissions and also striking.”
Sanchez’s
face was grotesquely beaten. The fight was stopped after a head
kick from Penn, a knee and then a series of uppercuts.
One
of those blows – likely the head kick – opened a massive
gash on Sanchez’s head. Both of his eyes were swollen and
nearly shut. It appeared his nose was broken. His lip was split
in two places. He was bleeding from his right ear.
You
don’t have to be squeamish to have gotten a bit nauseous
looking at the destruction on his face.
“In
10 years of being in this business, I don’t know if I’ve
ever seen anybody more busted up than Diego is right now,”
White said. “His whole lip is split open in half, in two
different places. When I say split open, it’s torn down
to this stuff down here [indicating a point on his chin]. His
forehead is as open as [Marvin Eastman], the kid that Vitor Belfort
kneed [at UFC 43]. They pulled that thing wide open. His face?
I think his nose is broken. I don’t even know how Diego
kept coming forward. He’s a tough kid, man. I’m almost
positive his nose was broken by the third round. That Tony Robbins
[expletive] works.”
Nothing
Sanchez did in the cage worked, though that’s probably not
as much an indictment of him as it is a sign of Penn’s greatness.
Penn
knocked him down with a crushing punch early in the fight and
nearly finished him on the ground. And though Sanchez tried to
make it a fight, he didn’t have the kinds of weapons he
needed.
Penn’s
hands were much faster and his boxing was much more technically
proficient. He repeatedly raked Sanchez with counter right hands
and punishing left hooks. Sanchez, a former high school wrestling
state champion, couldn’t get Penn off his feet so he was
never able to work his ground-and-pound.
He
had nothing else to resort to offensively and wound up repeatedly
attempting kicks to the head in a futile attempt to gain some
momentum.
Penn
watched the Nov. 14 boxing match between Manny Pacquiao and Miguel
Cotto while he was in his training camp and decided to try to
emulate Pacquiao’s style on Saturday.
“I
just like watching Pacquiao and how he throws punches in bunches,”
Penn said. “He’s so fast. You might get away from the
first two or three, but the two or three that come behind that
are going to hit you. I kind of figured that out.”
The
problem for Penn’s coaches are going to be keeping him motivated.
In his last three lightweight title defenses, he dominated Sean
Sherk, Kenny Florian and Sanchez, taking little abuse from any
of them and doling out enormous amounts of punishment.
There
isn’t anybody markedly better than Florian – others
may be as good – and yet no one has come close to Penn.
“What
B.J. really wants is to fight Georges St. Pierre,” Penn’s
coach, Rudy Valentino, said.
White
said Penn may be two fights away from cleaning out the lightweight
division, but said even if Penn does that, he’s not arbitrarily
going to get an automatic title shot against St. Pierre.
White
said Penn would have to face whoever the No. 1 contender is at
welterweight when it’s time to move up before getting a
shot at St. Pierre.
In
the past three years, he’s lost three times, but all have
been at welterweight. He was beaten twice by St. Pierre and once
by Matt Hughes. Each is a much bigger man naturally and in the
Hughes fight and the second St. Pierre fight, their size and
physical strength was an issue. Mir suggested the only way a
lightweight might be able to match that feat is to use wrestling,
which both Maynard and Edgar have.
“At
this point, at 155 it’s hard to see who could really have
a definitive shot at taking him out,” Mir said. “Maybe
if you can wrestle him to death and keep a great position, but
that’s hard to say with a guy who, if you go five rounds
with, [it’s hard to make sure he doesn’t] knock you
out or submit you.”
Penn
has so many weapons and so few weaknesses that unless you can
overcome some of those advantages with size and strength, you’re
likely going to need to find a good plastic surgeon, because
Penn will rearrange your face.
Sanchez
entered the fight with a 23-2 record, with his only losses coming
at welterweight in back-to-back bouts to Josh Koscheck and Jon
Fitch. He dropped to lightweight this year and got his title
shot by defeating Joe Stevenson and Clay Guida.
Despite
his many credentials, though, Sanchez looked like a beginner
against Penn.
“This
is my sixth fight with him and he’s been dominant in pretty
much all of them [except the St. Pierre fight],” Penn coach
Jason Parillo said. “Some people thought the last fight
with Kenny Florian was kind of close. I do not. I thought B.J.
was dominating that fight, also.
“He
completely dominated tonight and I don’t think Diego belonged
in the cage with him. That was my sense. You could see that from
the opening bell. The first minute of the fight, B.J. had him
on queer street and almost had him out of there. That was different
class of fighters there.”
It
was. The same thing could be said, though, of the entire lightweight
division.
When
Penn is in shape, which he’s been since hiring conditioning
guru Marv Marinovich, and when he’s highly motivated, which
he’s been since getting stopped by St. Pierre at UFC 94,
he’s all but unbeatable at lightweight.
The
man to beat B.J. Penn at 155 pounds is going to be one special
fighter.
Penn,
himself, is as good at that weight as any man ever has been.
Source: Yahoo Sports
|
UFC
107: PENN DOMINATES SANCHEZ
He may be paid by the organization that promotes B.J. Penn’s
fights, but after the champion’s performance at UFC 107,
it’s hard to argue with Joe Rogan when he says, “That
right there, ladies and gentleman, is the greatest lightweight
in the history of the sport.”
Diego
Sanchez’s plan was obvious: go straight at Penn, get him
off his feet, and batter him on the mat.
The
problem with that strategy? He couldn’t take Penn down.
He couldn’t strike with Penn on the feet. He couldn’t
do any damage in the clinch.
The
real problem was, Diego Sanchez was fighting B.J. Penn.
The
UFC lightweight champion dropped Sanchez early in round one with
a jaw-crushing right hand. He immediately followed with a relentless
onslaught of punches on the mat – even appearing to put
Sanchez’s lights out at one point – but somehow Sanchez
survived. But that’s all he was able to do for the rest
of the fight, survive, constantly searching for a way, any way,
to take the fight to the mat.
Penn
would have none of it. He waited patiently for his opportunities,
picking Sanchez apart with his boxing, stuffing his takedowns,
and unloading elbows and hammerfists when they clinched.
By
the fifth round, Sanchez’s lip was split, his face swollen,
blood leaking from his mouth. As the minutes wound down, Penn,
hunting the finish, unleashed a right high kick that opened a
fissure on Sanchez’s forehead. The doctor was called in
as the cut rained blood down Sanchez’s face. With the gash
measured best in inches, there was no way the fight could continue.
“I
was keeping my mouth shut, but I always wanted to fight Diego
Sanchez,” said Penn after the fight. “I knew he wanted
to fight me. I knew for years he wanted to fight me.”
The
only loss of Penn’s lightweight career was early on to then-UFC
champion Jens Pulver, a loss he later avenged.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
UFC
107: MIR CRUSHES KONGO, WANTS LESNAR
“Talent can only take you so far I really am trying to put
in the hard work it takes to become a champion in the sport.”
Those
were the words of former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir after
he made good on his weigh-in promise to put Cheick Kongo to sleep
at UFC 107 in Memphis on Saturday night.
After
a little dancing around, it appeared Mir would put Kongo to sleep
with his boxing, not his submissions. A hard, looping left hook,
backed by Mir’s new and improved, muscular 265-pound frame,
sent the French kickboxer crashing to the mat.
Mir
immediately followed him down, but instead of finishing in a
flurry, he went to his bread and butter. He slapped on a guillotine
choke, pulling Kongo face down to the mat, and held on until
referee Herb Dean stepped in to verify that Kongo had gone nighty-night.
He
wasn’t giving Kongo any space to reverse his fortunes.
“He’s
a big powerful guy. I didn’t really want to let that choke
go and have him grounding and pounding me,” said Mir. “That’s
a position I don’t really enjoy any more.”
The
win over Kongo was the first step in Mir’s course back to
title contention. He has a win over an ailing Brock Lesnar, but
was manhandled by the current UFC heavyweight champion their
last time in the Octagon, succumbing to strikes early in round
two.
He
holds no ill will towards Lesnar, but he does want another crack
at the former WWE superstar.
“Brock,
on a personal level, hey, I really do hope that Brock Lesnar
is healthy. He’s a father,” Mir told UFC commentator
Joe Rogan. “That being said; get healthy so I can redeem
myself and face you. I will hurt you and that will be the last
of it.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
PRELIM
FIGHTERS SCORE $65,000 UFC 107 BONUSES
The Ultimate Fighting Championship on Saturday night descended
up Memphis for the first time. Lightweight champion B.J. Penn
continued his dominance of the weight class, before 13,869 fans
at the FedEx Forum, crushing Diego Sanchez.
But
it would be the fighters from the preliminary bouts that would
impress the UFC brass enough to come away with bonus checks for
$65,000 each.
Canadian
T.J. Grant survived an early knockdown at the hands of Kevin
Burns to turn the tables, dropping his opponent with a right
hook and finishing him off with hammerfists. With three ticks
left on the clock, Grant’s finish was enough to earn him
the UFC 107 Knockout of the Night.
The
Submission of the Night went to DaMarques Johnson, but he definitely
had to earn it. Johnson was caught in a choke early and dropped
from a punch before rocking Edgar Garcia with an up-kick and
finishing him off with the $65,000 triangle choke.
Wilson
Gouveia and Alan Belcher went toe-to-toe for three minutes and
two seconds, but the fireworks they set off were enough to grab
Fight of the Night honors. Gouveia battled back from getting
rock early in the early moments, only to get backed to the cage
and dropped, Belcher following him down for the TKO finish.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Fernando
“Tererê“ starts drug treatment
One
of the great icons of Jiu-Jitsu, Fernando “Tererê”
gave one more important step to his recovering at this dawn.
With the help of his family, teachers and all the fight’s
community, Tererê, who almost went back to the mats, was
hospitalized in a clinic to treat the depression and drug addicting.
“He
was bad, very weak, and the family even more. We hospitalized
him in a private clinic, with security and conditions to him
in Sorocaba”, explains Elan Santiago, Alliance teacher and
one of the most engaged on the athlete’s recovering. “He’s
traveling in an ambulance now, and he took it well. In the most
of times he didn’t. In the most of times he didn’t
accept but he was too weak now”.
On
the next month, the family of the black belt will can visit him
on the clinic, and the hope is to join even more money to keep
the treatment. “After you interviewed me on TATAME TV (remember
here), the bill reacted well. Before, we had 30 reais (close
to US$ 15 dollars), and jumped to R$ 8 thousand (US$ 4 thousand
dollars). We hope that people come again”, Elan said, revealing
that the family needs more R$10 thousand (close to US$ 5 thousand
dollars) to conclude the treatment, that lasts months.
Source: Tatame
|
Paulo
Filho
After
two fights in less than a month, the bad fight at Brazil made
Paulão Filho see the wrong things and to take lessons
to return. And the return to the octagon has a scheduled date:
December 12, against Tatsuhiko Nishizaka, on Bitetti Combat 5.
In
interview to TATAME, Paulão talked about the expectation
to the new begin, the boos on the last fight, the recovering
and a lot more. How are the trainings, are you back to the rhythm?
I’m
coming back strong now. I had one more depression crisis, anyway…
I’m not justifying, that’s things that happen in life
and we have to overcome. Could it be worse, at least is not a
cancer, AIDS, so we can handle it.
Do
you know the Japanese you’ll face on Bitetti Combat?
I
don’t know, I’ve never heard about, but I don’t
disrespect, there’s some new guys coming to rock and I’ll
fight my best. It’s gonna be a better category to me, I’ll
fight until 194 pounds. It’s a good weight, because I’ll
be fast and won’t lose my strength. I hope God bless me
and I can win well this fight to get the rhythm and next year
I can blow again.
What
people can expect from you on this return?
I
don’t want to create illusions saying that I’ll be
back 100%, because I’d be lying, but I’ll be much better.
On the previous fight I didn’t fight well, I haven’t
trained and my head wasn’t good, I went to accomplish the
commitment, because I don’t like to run away from commitments.
The Carlson Gracie school always preached that, so I went because
of that, but this time I learned the lesson and I’ll go
to submit.
As
long as you haven’t fought well, you won. Did the boos hurt
your feelings?
It
really made me sad, to win the fight on your country and receive
boos. I don’t get mad or angry, I just get sad.
Do
you think that the Brazilian don’t have much patience with
their idols, why do you think that happens?
We’re
a country of moments, we don’t have past and future maybe,
is that thing that people put you up on one fight and put you
down on another, they forget what the athlete did. If I come
from ten defeats and beat Anderson Silva, I become the best of
the world. We athletes, we have to know that, we’re ordinary
people, we just had luck to learn some art and took it seriously
enough to make the difference and the rest is a lot of training
and faith in Jesus Christ.
Even
not being on ideal conditions, the warrior’s heart will
always be strong…
That’s
for sure, heart never missed on me and never will, heritage from
Carlson Gracie. I wish I could have talked more to him to exchange
information, but it was enough, he was a personality who made
me become a warrior. Whatever the preparation happens or not,
I don’t run away from my commitment, to fight is my life
and I appreciate it a lot.
Source: Tatame
|
Pulga
and Pachu win at WOCS 6
The
crowd that packed the venue at Club Flamengo, in Rio de Janeiro,
approved of the bouts to make up the card for WOCS this Saturday,
in Rio de Janeiro. In the main event, Alexandre Pulga didn’t
have it easy in maintaining his undefeated record, overcoming
Alexandre Pinheiro by split decision.
The
first round started out with straight-up striking, which brought
the crowd to its feet, mainly Pulga’s cheering section.
The Jiu-Jitsu black belt answered his fans’ call and took
his opponent down, passed guard, mounted and nearly finished
with an armbar. In the following round, things were on evener
terms, with Alexandre Pinheiro landing solid strikes from Pulga’s
guard. In the final round both fighters were visibly tired from
the intense combat from beginning to end, with Pulga managing
to take his adversary down but not stabilize the position, and
winning the decision for getting the better of the striking in
the third round and his dominance on the ground in the first.
This is Pulga’s ninth win in as many fights.
Pulga gets the mount. Photo: Rogério Gomes
Pulga
gets the mount. Photo: Rogério Gomes
In
the other most anticipated fight, Eduardo Pachu swung for the
fence at Francinei Farinazzo. After getting the takedown and
landing strikes, the Gracie Fusion fighter finished with a rear-naked
choke. Another to have a great night was Arthur Gogó.
The fighter used his Jiu-Jitsu to overcome Silvio Vieira in the
first round. After getting the takedown and mounting, Gogó
ended the dispute with an americana lock. In another even dispute,
Alexandre Pantoja beat Ralph Lauren via split decision. Making
his professional debut, Rodrigo Ratinho did well to beat Leandro
Feijão with and armbar.
Pachu (in red) wins again at WOCS. Photo: Rogério Gomes
Pachu
(in red) wins again at WOCS. Photo: Rogério Gomes
Euphoric
after the event, organizer Otávio “Tatá”
Duarte could only say one thing: “We stopped the zona sul
(Rio de Janeiro’s southern region)!”
Check
out the complete results:
Professional
fights
Alexandre Pulga (NG Combate) defeated Alexandre Pinheiro (JT
Caverna) via split decision
Eduardo “Pachu” (Victor gym/ Gracie Fusion) submitted
Francinei Farinazzo (Nova União Campos) with a rear-naked
choke in R1
Arthur Gogó (Gracie Fusion/Viktor Gym) submitted Silvio
Vieira (Chute Boxe/ Clã da Luta via americana lock in
R1
Fabiano “Bob Esponja” (TFT) defeated Leonardo “Tangerina”
(Vkctor gym/ Gracie Fusion) via unanimous decision
Pedro Silveira (Pejor) defeated Hudson Rocha (BTT) via TKO in
R2
Alexandre Pantoja (TFT/ Muay Thai Arraial) defeated Ralph Lauen
(Ari Team) via split decision Bruno Machado (Viktor gym/ Gracie
Fusion) submitted Bruno Peçanha (TFT/ Muay Thai Arraial)
with a kimura in R3
Rodrigo
Ratinho (TFT) submitted Leandro Feijão (Relma) via armbar
in R1
Amateur
fights
Diogo
Cruz (Relma) defeated Bruno Rodrigues (TFT) via split decision
Welington “Café” (TFT) defeated Jonathan Corrêa
(Honório Jiu Jitsu) via split decision
Jamilson da Silva (Infight) defeated Alexandro “Nanico”
(TFT) via guillotine choke in the extra round
Antonio Roberto (NG Combat) submitted Magno Alves (Brigadeiro)
via guillotine choke in R1
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Quote
of the Day
“If
everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care
of itself.”
Henry Ford
|
UFC
107 PRELIM BOUTS EXCITE MEMPHIS CROWD
The preliminary bouts at UFC 107 brought plenty of excitement
to the Memphis crowd as several fights from the early going could
later contend for "Fight of the Night" or other bonuses.
The fighters put on a show to the packed FedEx Forum.
Moving
from a middleweight bout to a catchweight fight at the last moment,
Alan Belcher still made the most of his first appearance in front
of his hometown crowd. He battered and eventually stopped American
Top Team fighter, Wilson Gouveia, in the first round of their
fight at UFC 107.
Belcher
came out with an ultra aggressive attack that had Gouviea back
peddling a little bit, but still both fighters threw heavy shots
at one another. It seemed Belcher's straight punches were the
difference early as he stunned Gouveia. After the fighters moved
against the cage the Memphis native popped the Brazilian with
a heavy shot that sent him crashing to the floor. Gouveia could
only cover up as Belcher blasted away with a few more shots until
the referee came in for the save.
"Handsome"
Matt Wiman may have finally forced Shane Nelson to the 145-pound
division after a unanimous decision handed the Hawaiian his second
consecutive loss. Wiman looked confident with his stand-up as
he continuously used his boxing to hurt Nelson on the feet before
taking the fight to the ground where he opened his opponent up
with some elbows.
To
his credit, Nelson fought tough for all three rounds, but Wiman
was better in the striking and ground games throughout to get
the decision win.
Former
WEC welterweight Johny Hendricks put on an absolutely dominant
performance in victory over first time UFC fighter Ricardo Funch.
Hendricks mixed together a bevy of slams, hard punches, and ground
control to pick up his second UFC win.
A
former NCAA wrestling champion, Hendricks picked up Funch at
will and put him down on the mat, while also using his powerful
striking to keep his opponent on the defensive all night. Hendricks
takes a good step forward in a stacked welterweight division.
In
a battle of Brazilians, Rousimar Palhares got the best of UFC
newcomer Lucio Linhares after the two exchanged submissions for
the better part of their fight. Palhares wasted no time getting
the fight to the ground early, but after a heel hook failed,
he resigned himself to working for top control and punching down
on his opponent. Linhares did a good job in the second round
of going for an omo plata, but when he couldn't lock on the hold
Palhares fell backwards securing a heel hook, causing a tap.
DeMarques
Johnson had to work hard to earn his victory on Saturday night.
The former "Ultimate Fighter" competitor got caught
with a few good shots from Edgar Garcia before locking on a fight
ending triangle choke for the win. Garcia looked powerful on
the feet, putting his hands on Johnson several times in the first
few minutes.
It
looked like it was survival mode for Johnson after he got popped
with a monstrous punch with just over a minute to go in the first
round, but instead he seized the moment as Garcia charged in
too quickly and found himself slammed with an upkick. Johnson
transitioned beautifully from the upkick to a triangle choke,
forcing the tap and picking up the first round win.
The
first fight of the night opened up with some serious fireworks
as both T.J. Grant and Kevin Burns were looking for the knockout
early and often. Grant, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown belt, tried
a takedown early, but soon found himself on the bad end of a
punch from Kevin Burns, who dropped him to the canvas.
Burns
followed up quickly to finish, but Grant got his senses back
and eventually made it back to his feet before landing the takedown
he had been searching for earlier. A good backdoor escape got
Burns back to his feet, but he was slammed with a huge right
hook from Grant that sent him crashing down again. Grant followed
up with a few more hammer fists to secure the first round TKO
win with only three seconds remaining in the round.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Florian’s
fresh approach pays dividends
MEMPHIS,
Tenn. – The last thing most mixed martial arts observers
want to see right about now is another UFC lightweight title
shot for Kenny Florian.
But
if Florian puts in a string of performances like the one he had
on Saturday night, UFC president Dana White might not have a
choice.
Florian
rebounded from his failed August challenge to B.J. Penn with
one of the finest performances of his career on Saturday night,
shutting down and finishing the popular Clay Guida in a featured
UFC 107 match at the FedEx Fourm.
“It
was just a whole new type of preparation,” said Florian
(12-4). “[I] brought in a new striking system I’m still
learning, and it definitely helped.”
Twice
in his career, Florian has challenged for the 155-pound title,
and twice he came up short. The current champion, Penn, happens
to be the only fighter in UFC history to fail in his first two
attempts to land a championship before getting a third opportunity
at the same title, as he finally won the title at UFC 80.
Florian
knows he will have to go above and beyond in order to scramble
back to the top of his weight class. After the loss to Penn,
Florian parted ways with longtime trainer Mark DellaGrotte and
began to split his time between Montreal’s Tri-Star Gym,
where he works with Georges St. Pierre trainer Firas Zahabi,
and his Brookline, Mass., school, where he works with his brother
and jiu-jitsu coach Keith Florian.
“It
didn’t take long for Kenny to get back into the swing of
things,” said Keith Florian. “After [the loss to Penn]
we wanted to get right back out there. We wanted a fresh start
and a change of pace and you saw the results out there tonight.”
Florian’s
approach was apparent in the execution of a sound game plan.
Guida (25-11) became one of the UFC’s most popular fighters
with a crowd-pleasing, perpetual-motion style that seems to place
him on “Fight of the Year” lists every year. But Florian
didn’t allow himself to be goaded into a brawl and spent
most of the first round circling and picking his spots.
“You
can’t fight Clay Guida at his game,” said Kenny Florian.
“He’s very good at grinding his opponents down and
getting them tired. The key is to stay real calm and get him
out of his element.”
That
patient style paid off toward the end of the round, as Guida
rushed in and absorbed a short Florian elbow that opened a nasty
cut over Guida’s right ear. Florian continued to work over
the cut with his elbows on the ground, which prompted referee
Mario Yamasaki to call timeout and have the blood-soaked Guida’s
cut checked.
“I
had a bit of a slow start in the first round,” Florian said.
“But I put it together and found my range and kept him outside
and caught him when he was going forward.”
Ever
the gamer, Guida continued, but it was simply a matter of time.
Guida comes from a wrestling background, but Florian successfully
defended all of his takedown attempts. Florian missed a short
left, then Guida walked into a right hand that landed flush on
his face and dropped him to the mat. Florian pounced, and seconds
later sunk in a rear naked choke that sealed the victory at 2:19
of the second round.
“Clay
is tough; not many people have finished him, said Florian. “He’s
a tough guy to put away. That’s something I wanted to do
when going into this. I don’t go in and train saying, ‘I’m
going to finish this guy this way or that way.’ I just try
to give myself as many weapons as possible. That gives me more
opportunities to finish people.”
As
for Florian’s next move, it’s too soon to say. Florian,
a Boston College graduate, would seem a natural for the UFC’s
planned summer debut in Massachusetts. Is that the right night
for another title shot against Penn, who dominated Diego Sanchez
on Saturday night? Florian knows the lightweight title picture
is stacked and he isn’t about to openly lobby to become
next in line.
“That’s
not really for me to decide,” said Florian. “Of course
I’d like another shot at the title. I’d do whatever
it takes.”
Source: Yahoo Sports
|
UFC
107: STRUVE EDGES OUT BUENTELLO
The 9 inches in height Stefan Struve enjoyed over Paul Buentello
turned the UFC 107 judges in his favor.
Struve,
21, had little trouble doing his bidding on the canvas, putting
“The Headhunter” in imminent danger of being choked
out in the first round.
Buentello’s
experience kept him from giving in and opened a window to exploit
the giant’s energy dump.
Struve
was running low on gas by the second round and gave little thought
to leaping in with his long legs looking for a flying knee KO.
Buentello,
35, was waiting. Before Struve could return to earth, he shot
the Danish hightower out of the air like skeet, nearly earning
the knockout.
After
one such shot, Struve reluctantly returned to his feet, then
did it again. Again, Buentello caught him.
The
youngster never gave up, and chased Buentello to the cage, where
they traded punches until a Buentello punch finally backed him
up. He smiled widely.
One
of Buentello’s punches had embedded a tooth in Struve’s
mouthguard, which referee Dan Mirgliotta had removed before the
final frame. Struve barely blinked.
In
the final round, Struve finally began to assert his will with
his length, punishing Buentello’s lead leg with kicks. Buentello,
behind in the scorecards and looking for his right hand, didn’t
have the spring in his step to get the same power behind his
earlier punches.
The two were gassed through much of the third round.
Struve
was not happy with his performance, despite coming out ahead
on scorecards with two scores of 29-28.
“I
don't feel like winner right now. It was more of a draw,”
he said.
One
judge agreed with him, giving a 28-28 tally.
It
was Struve’s third straight victory in the Octagon since
his UFC 95 debut.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
UFC
107: ALL THE RIGHT MOVES, FLORIAN FINISHES GUIDA
Kenny Florian has stumbled in the three biggest fights of his
career – two title shots and the finals of the inaugural
season of The Ultimate Fighter – but he didn’t falter
at UFC 107 on Saturday night.
Before
a raucous crowd in Memphis, Florian showed that his move away
from longtime trainer Mark DellaGrotte to Firas Zahabi and Peter
Welch was a good way for him to shake up his game.
“I’ve
been working hard on sharpening my boxing,” he said, just
minutes after choking out a crimson faced Clay Guida.
He
finished with a rear naked choke, but it was Florian’s improved
boxing that set the tone. From the onset, he established his
jab and picked away at Guida, defending several takedowns. Florian
opened a deep gash in Guida’s scalp near the end of round
one, courtesy of some vicious elbows, but it really was his boxing
that made things happen.
A
left-right combo from the southpaw struck like lightening about
two minutes into the second round, dropping Guida to the mat.
Florian quickly followed, unleashing a few more strikes, but
made a surprising move to Guida’s back. He sunk in the rear
naked choke, Guida immediately tapping out.
“Tonight
was my night. Clay Guida’s a phenomenal fighter. I wanted
to go out there and take my time,” said Florian following
seven minutes and 19 seconds of blistering action.
“Tonight
was my night, that’s it.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
UFC
107: FITCH IN THE TITLE HUNT, DECISIONS PIERCE
Jon Fitch on Saturday night kept his name among the contenders
to current UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre’s
crown. It took him three rounds, but with a bloody mask circling
his eyes at the end of the fight, he carried a unanimous decision
out of his battle with Mike Pierce at UFC 107 in Memphis.
It
wasn’t as crowd-pleasing as Kenny Florian and Clay Guida’s
bout immediately prior, but Fitch did a good job mixing up punches,
knees from the clinch, and takedowns to keep a persistent Pierce
at bay.
Fitch
had Pierce’s back early in round one and kept on him, peppering
him with punches, searching for the rear naked choke. Pierce
would survive, however, and take Fitch into the deep waters of
the third round.
With
half a minute left in the fight, Pierce unloaded with a furious
flurry of punches that staggered Fitch, but the veteran treaded
water to finish the round and earn the unanimous decision.
The
win is Fitch’s nineteenth in 20 attempts; his only stumble
in that stretch being a decision loss to St-Pierre. The win over
Pierce won’t put him back in with the champ just yet, but
it gives Fitch three-straight victories since losing to St-Pierre
at UFC 87, and keeps him in the hunt.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Bitetti
Combat results
Bitetti
Combat
12 December, 2009
Barueri, São Paulo
Paulão
Filho submitted Tatsushiko Nishizaka via kimura 3 minutes into
R1;
Murilo
Ninja defeated Jason Jones by technical knockout at 3:20min of
R3;
Fábio
Maldonado defeated Fernando Tressino by technical knockout at
3:40min of R2;
Gustavo
Ximu defeated Ricco Washington by unanimous decision;
Francimar
“Bodão” defeated Alessandro “Alemão”
Steffen by technical knockout at 1:55 min of R1;
Cassiano
Tytscho submitted Shane Williams via guillotine from the mount
4 minutes into R1;
Carina
Damm defeated Daiana Silva by technical knockout at 3:27min of
R3.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Dos
Santos wants to knock Gilbert Yvel out
Coming
from four victories in a row by knock out, the last over Mirko
“Cro Cop” Filipovic, the Brazilian Junior “Cigano”
is conquering his space on UFC. Scheduled to face Gabriel “Napão”
on UFC 108, on January 2nd, Cigano had to change focus, as Napão
was victim of an infection. Ex fighter of Pride, Gilbert Yvel
was chosen to Brazilian’s place, what, in certain way, surprised
Cigano, but didn’t worry the though guy.
“I
was training to fight with Napão, but happened that he
couldn’t fight so they putted Gilbert Yvel, who’s a
very though guy, he’s coming from victory by knock out in
front of Pedro Rizzo and has a very good Muay Thai”, said
the fighter, who can still show an unknown side to UFC fans.
“I think that his weak spot is the ground. We’ve trained
to make a work with intelligence and a good fight and I’m
training a lot on the ground, but I won’t want to take it
down soon, I’ll want to feel the fight standing up... I
know that he’s good but I believe in me and I know that
I can represent danger standing up“.
Prepared
to a battle, Cigano trains with all. “It’s gonna be
a great fight and if he’s prepared it’s gonna be a
war, because I’m with Rogério training with Bahia’s
fighters. I’ll be prepared to this fight. We never know
how it’s gonna end, but I’ll try the knock out, that’s
what I like to do. I’ll exchange with him“, finished
the though guy, suffering with the summer coming in Brazil. “It’s
very hot, very hot (laughs)“.
Source: Tatame
|
Knee
surgery backs Arona until September
Back
to the rings, on September of this year, Ricardo Arona beat the
American Marvin Eastman, but suffered an injury while the fight.
Last week, the black belt went to the surgery table and talked
about the surgery on the knee talking to TATAME.
“Unfortunately,
I’ve ruptured the ligament on the fight against Marvin Eastman.
I’ve made the surgery last Thursday, it’s been a week
now“, revealed Arona, who will have to rest for a while.
“This first month is complicated and decisive... In May,
I think that I’ll be free to be back to trainings and then
I’ll need more three months to be ready to fight“.
In
ten months, Arona wants to be back to rings. “I think that
in September I most be back... I want to feel that taste again,
that feeling, adrenalin, that things happens, I’m optimist
to be back stronger“, guarantee the athlete, who will start
the physiotherapy on next week. “I’ll dedicate myself
to my recovering“.
Source: Tatame
|
Quote
of the Day
"The
future has a way of arriving unannounced."
George Will
|
UFC
107: Penn vs. Sanchez Results!
UFC 107
FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tenn.
In
the main event, lightweight champion B.J. Penn will defend his
title against Diego Sanchez. The co-main event is a heavyweight
battle, Frank Mir vs. Cheick Kongo.
BJ
Penn def. Diego Sanchez via fifth-round TKO
Frank Mir def. Cheick Kongo via first-round submission
Kenny Florian def. Clay Guida via second-round submission
Jon Fitch def. Mike Pierce via unanimous decision
Stefan Struve def. Paul Buentello via majority decision
Alan Belcher def. Wilson Gouveia by first-round TKO
Matt Wiman def. Shane Nelson by unanimous decision
Johny Hendricks def. Ricardo Funch by unanimous decision
Rousimar Palhares def. Lucio Linhares by second-round submission
DaMarques Johnson def. Edgar Garcia by first-round submission
TJ Grant def. Kevin Burns by first-round TKO
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Bobby
Lashley signs with Strikeforce
By Zach
Arnold
Press Release
NEW
YORK (Dec. 10, 2009)– Former World Wrestling Entertainment
(WWE) heavyweight champion and undefeated mixed martial arts
(MMA) fighter Bobby Lashley has signed a multi-year agreement
with STRIKEFORCE and will make his debut for the world championship
MMA promotion at BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla., on Saturday,
January 30.
The
6-foot-3 inch, 250-pound Lashley, also a former collegiate wrestling
star for Missouri Valley College and member of The United States
Army, will face an opponent that has not yet been determined
during the live SHOWTIME® telecast of STRIKEFORCE: Miami,
the historic, first-ever STRIKEFORCE event in the state of Florida.
In
his last MMA start on June 27, 2009, the 33-year-old pulverized
and scored a first round (3:17) TKO over 6-foot-5 inch, 350-plus-pound
goliath Bob “The Beast” Sapp with a barrage of punches
in Biloxi, Miss. The win upped Lashley’s MMA record to 4-0.
“I’m
looking forward to fighting for STRIKEFORCE and challenging myself
by taking on some of the top heavyweights in MMA,” said
Lashley, a native of Junction City, Kan., and resident of Denver,
Colo.
After
competing in several matches in both the WWE Raw and SmackDown!
shows in 2005 and 2006, Lashley captured the WWE United States
Championship by defeating rival “JBL.” During this
stint with the league and another in 2007, Lashley wrestled several
top superstars, including The Big Show and John Cena.
Lashley
made his MMA debut on Dec. 13, 2008, earning a 41-second TKO
over Joshua Franklin after Franklin sustained a cut and could
not continue.
Earlier
this year, Lashley joined Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling.
In his first appearance with the league on July 30, he helped
tag team partner Mick Foley defeat superstars Kurt Angle and
Kevin Nash.
Tickets
for STRIKEFORCE: Miami officially go on-sale tomorrow/Friday,
Dec. 11, at the BankAtlantic Center ticket office as well as
online at www.Ticketmaster.com or by phone at (800) 745-3000.
Doors
at BankAtlantic Center open at 7 p.m. The first non-televised,
preliminary card fight will begin at 8 p.m.
STRIKEFORCE
in March 2009 signed a multi-year agreement to stage live MMA
events on premium cable television network SHOWTIME. The promotion
made its live, primetime debut on CBS with the “Fedor vs.
Rogers” mega-fight that it co-promoted with M-1 Global on
Saturday, November 7 and generated 5.46 million viewers for the
main event between the world’s number one heavyweight, Fedor
Emelianenko, and superstar Brett “The Grim” Rogers.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Paulão
moves to GFTeam
by Carlos Eduardo Ozório
In the final stage of his preparation for Bitetti Combat, to
take place this Saturday, December 12, Paulo Filho relied on
help from Jiu-Jitsu team GFTeam. The fighter worked out at the
team’s MMA headquarters, Max Fit.
“I
would like to officially announce that fighter Paulão
Filho is now part of GFTeam/Max Fit’s MMA team. He contacted
us and, on Tuesday of last week (December 1), we met and decided
to work together,” team spokesman Leandro Cabral told GRACIEMAG.com.
The
athlete’s training started the next day, Wednesday, December
2, and took place in two periods.
“We
are aware that it was very close to fight time, but the dedication,
effort and, mainly, the joy the athlete has shown has motivated
the group as a whole. We know Paulão’s potential
and the professionalism he has exhibited made us all very hopeful
for a victorious future,” says Leo.
“This
Saturday he won’t yet be at the ideal point we planned for,
but, certainly, everyone will have the opportunity to see a much
different Paulão from the one they saw at the Maracanãzinho.
Paulão leaves for São Paulo accompanied by Huanderson
Pavão, one of our MMA coaches, and Jiu-Jitsu black belt
Rodolfo Vieira,” he says in finishing.
Anyone
who wishes to keep up with the team can do so by visiting their
blog, http://gfteam.blogspot.com, or by following them on Twitter.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Bellator
FC Announces Signing of
Olympian Ben Askren
By FCF Staff
Bellator
Fighting Championship has announced today that it has signed
2 time NCAA Division 1 champion and Olympic freestyle wrestler
Ben Askren to an “exclusive long-term agreement.” The
25 year-old Askren will begin competing in Bellator’s welterweight
division tournament next year, which according to a news release
from the promotion, will begin April 1st.
“I
like that my fights are going to broadcast nationally, I like
the tournament-style format and I love the opportunity to be
a part of something exciting and new,” Askren was quoted
saying in the promotion’s release sent out today. “I
plan on winning Bellator. My goal, as it always has been, is
to be the best in the world.”
Askren
competed for the U.S. national team at the Beijing Summer Olympics
in 2008 and has gone 3-0 since transitioning into MMA earlier
this year. The Arizona Combat Sports fighter holds a purple belt
in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
Bellator’s
second season of competition will run for 12 weeks with the promotion’s
third season set to begin on August 12th. During the off season
the organization has signed broadcasting deals with Fox Sports
Net, NBC and Telemundo.
Source: Full Contact Fighter
|
Mystery
UFC PPV event in Memphis featuring Frank Mir in semi-main event
By Zach
Arnold
I’m
not sure that Alan Belcher belly-aching about not getting enough
love constitutes as great PR for this weekend’s event, which
features a good main event of BJ Penn vs. Diego Sanchez and…
Frank Mir vs. Cheick Kongo as the semi-main event.
Brett
Okamoto in The Las Vegas Sun has an interesting article on Frank
Mir in the paper today. It’s an amusing article because
of the quotes from Frank Mir’s father, like this one:
“He’s
always been a quiet kid, never one to boast about his ability,”
says his father, Frank Sr. “He was content to be who he
was. He wasn’t out there saying, ‘Look who I am, I
can hurt you if I wanted to.’ He was just the opposite.”
So,
with Mir vs. Kongo coming up as the semi-main event this weekend
that you will have to pay $55 USD to watch, here’s what
the two men have to say about each going into the Memphis event:
Frank
Mir on his fight against Brock Lesnar at UFC 100: “I expected
the fight to be a little more of a wild pace. I thought Brock
would stand up with me a little bit more, he didn’t which
you know I can’t fault him for, he has to do what it takes
to win the fight. He took me down and then on the ground he was
nowhere near as wild as he had been in the past. I thought there
would be a lot of opportunities on my part to take advantage
of and there really wasn’t, he did a great job in out-positioning
me on the ground and then his then just added on top of the fact
his superior size and strength was the you know icing on the
cake.”
Mir
on his upcoming fight against Cheick Kongo: “Great reach,
good right hand, he has sound stand-up with some great knees,
obviously his wrestling is not probably the best wrestling. I
think his strength and athleticism helps out a lot in those areas.
I
think his ground and pound is actually pretty dangerous, I think
that it’’s not given enough credit. I think he’s
pretty well-conditioned, you know, even when he takes a bad beating
he seems like he still stays in there. You know in the fight
with Cain Velasquez, you know he was getting mauled for 15 minutes
and he didn’t really look like he threw in the towel, you
know he just threw very poor technique, had no answer.”
“I
don’t really have anything to prove by standing up with
him, but that’s where he could do the most damage in the
fight, that’s where he’s going to feel the most comfortable,
that’s where his heartbeat is most relaxed, that’s
what he does best. No one is shocked by the fact that his ground
game is amongst some of the worst ground game we have in the
Heavyweight division. Um, you know, I hope to take advantage
of that, I feel that I’m pretty decent on the ground and
I’m looking to make myself even better. If I grab him and
get him to the ground I think that’s definitely plays into
my advantage to winning the fight more so than trying to stand
up and have a boxing match with him.”
“When
I want to take someone down in the UFC, who do I look to as the
best takedown artist? It’s Georges St. Pierre, by far, has
the best takedowns in the UFC. How does he do it? Does he shoot
from halfway across the ring, do you ever see the shot? Never.
He strikes with you and just enough for you to think you’re
in a striking match and then the minute you forget that oh yeah
there’s takedowns too, he takes you down. It’s not
that his takedowns are the most intricate crazy takedowns in
the world, they’re very sharp, very sound, technically perfect
but basic. He just has phenomenal, phenomenal timing and that’s
what I look to do in this fight with Cheick Kongo, go out there
and strike with him and look for my opportunity and when it comes,
take advantage of it.
Every
time he goes to throw a kick if I catch it and it doesn’t
knock me out, well he’s going down. That’s going to
limit a lot of his techniques you know and so that’s what
I look to take advantage of in the fight, you know, eventually
you know from in the clinch you know we’ll get the takedown.
Am
I going to get it in the first 30 seconds? Probably not. You
know, but if I force it that’s when I’m going to get
hurt but you know it’s a 15 minute fight and I hope to have
only to take him down one time and then that will be the end
of the fight.”
Cheick
Kongo on his fight against Cain Velasquez: “Between two
or three weeks training to just to prepare for the (Cain Velasquez)
fight wasn’t enough. I was weak and busy so, but whatever,
it’s all right, it’s the past. I have to turn the page.
Kongo
on his upcoming fight against Frank Mir: “The end of the
reign of the big mouth, Frank Mir, that’s it. He talk too
much, too much, too much. He’s not a pretty person, just
talking good. To have the right word. But I’m going to show
him the way to be positive and respectful.
I
train very hard for this victory so it’s not a game, it’s
not personal, it’s just business and for me, UFC, that’s
big business.”
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Thiago
Tavares: “I’m only sure of one thing that I’m
going to win this fight”
by Carlos Eduardo Ozório
Stricken
with injuries, Thiago Tavares only made one appearance in 2009,
beating Manny Gamburyan in January. The fighter was just planning
his end-of-the-year festivities when his manager, Alex Davis,
changed everything. The Jiu-Jitsu black belt was offered Nik
Lenz, a fighter riding a seven-fight winning streak, as an opponent.
Thiago would substitute the injured Jeremy Stephens in the matchup.
The fight is to take place at the January 11 Ultimate Fight Night
event in Virginia. Check out the conversation the fighter had
with GRACIEMAG.com.
He’s
really good, but I’m better” Thiago Tavares
Thiago
Tavares back in action for the UFC. Photo: Josh Hedges
What do you expect from your opponent?
I’ve
studied his game a lot and I know what I’m going to do.
He’s a good fighter, but I’m better. So I expect the
same thing as all my fights. I’m going to finish it regardless.
Everyone knows I don’t fight to go to a decision. I’m
going for the knockout or submission. I’m only sure of one
thing: I’m going to win this fight. How? I don’t yet
know, but on the 11th I’ll have an answer for you.
There
are Brazilian contenders for belts in all the divisions of the
UFC. Do you hope to be one in the lightweight division?
Sincerely,
I’m taking it one thing at a time. I can’t want to
climb a mountain and then trip on a pebble. But I am aware of
by abilities, I’ve evolved a lot in my weaknesses and, with
every training session, I feel better prepared to face the best
in my category. I know what I can do, but it wouldn’t be
right to say I want to fight for the belt now. I won my last
fight, but I came off a string of losses and spent a long time
inactive. But 2010 will be Thiago Tavares’s year. I hope
to win my next three, four fights and then I’ll be in a
position to fight for the belt. And to beat me you’ll have
to kill me.
How
has your training been going? Will you spend some time at the
ATT?
I
was planning to fight in February, so I would train a month at
the ATT, in the United States. But my manager called me and asked
if I’d like to fight in January, since Jeremy got injured.
I accepted right then and there and there was only a month till
the fight. I’ve got good training partners here, with Peu
in muay thai, Murilo Rupp in Jiu-Jitsu and Kevin in boxing. So
I’ll be well prepared as always.
Was
it hard to go so long without fighting?
It
was alright, since, while I recovered, I could help the other
athletes at my academy here in Florianopolis train, like Ivan
Batman and Nazareno. I kept myself busy and, when I returned
to training, for their having fought the whole year, they were
at a very high rhythm and that pushed me, too. As it happened,
even though I wasn’t fighting, it was a busy year.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
DOOR
CLOSING ON HENDERSON AND UFC
by Damon Martin
MEMPHIS – Dan Henderson's exit from the UFC was surprising
to some, not so much to others. UFC president Dana White says
at the end of the day he's completely okay with the fighter's
exit from the promotion, and that Henderson likely won't ever
fight for the UFC again.
"I'm
happy, I'm very happy with it. I couldn't be happier," White
said about Henderson's signing with Strikeforce. "I pushed
them to do that. I started taking (expletive) off the table and
that made him make his decision to go with them."
When
asked if Henderson was an asset to his new employer, White simply
said, "To them maybe; he's not to me."
The
deal was struck just days ago, and even Henderson pointed out
that while the four-fight deal keeps him in Strikeforce for the
immediate future, he wouldn't rule out an eventual return to
the UFC. On the flipside, White started closing that door on
Thursday.
"Dan
probably won't be back in the UFC. He'll retire over there,"
commented the brash UFC exec. "We, we're (cool), we know
where we stand."
The
two talked earlier this week. White said at the end of the conversation
they know where they stand with each other, but his tone painted
a frosty conversation between the two. Past comments seemed to
have ruffled some feathers, and White spoke about some misconceptions.
"There's
always this talk about I don't respect guys. Dan Henderson, believe
me, I show a lot of guys respect," he said. "Just cause
I wouldn't pay Dan more than anybody else doesn't mean I don't
respect guys."
Asking
the UFC to pay him more than anybody else is an assertion that
Henderson and his camp have contested since day one.
“I
don’t believe that I’m asking for too much money,”
Henderson told MMAWeekly.com back in October, “and I know
for a fact that I’m taking less money than other fighters.”
Regardless,
for the time being, it seems Henderson will be a Strikeforce
fighter, and White will move forward without him, comfortable
with the decision to let him go.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Marquardt
Was Upset He Couldn't Fight Silva or Henderson
by Michael
David Smith
Dan Henderson is not the only middleweight contender who was
upset that the UFC wouldn't give him a fight against champion
Anderson Silva.
Nate
Marquardt thought that when he knocked out Demian Maia at UFC
102 he had earned a rematch with Silva, who beat him at UFC 73.
And he thought that if the UFC wouldn't give him Silva, it would
at least give him Henderson, with the stipulation that the winner
of that fight would get Silva. Instead, Vitor Belfort was given
the next crack at Silva's belt, Henderson left for Strikeforce,
and Marquardt was matched up with Chael Sonnen at UFC 109.
"I
thought I would get a title fight or a fight with Henderson,
but neither fight was available, so I accepted the fight with
Sonnen," Marquardt wrote on his web site. "Honestly
I was upset at first. Why should I be fighting a guy that lost
to Demian Maia three fights ago?"
Marquardt
has a point: After he dispatched Maia, it seems a little strange
to give Marquardt a fight with someone who was beaten by Maia.
But
if you look at the MMA middleweight rankings, there really wasn't
a better option, once the UFC decided to have a Silva vs. Belfort
title fight. As long as Henderson and Jake Shields are in Strikeforce,
the next-best option for Marquardt is Sonnen. And he seems to
understand that.
"After
I thought about it a while, I changed my mind," Marquardt
wrote. "Sonnen is a great wrestler with decent striking
and I don't want to wait to fight."
Source: MMA Fighting
|
“Golden
Boy” all set for UFC debut
by Carlos Eduardo Ozório
Funch
fighting to remain undefeated. Undefeated in his seven-fight
MMA career, Ricardo Funch will make his octagon debut at UFC
107 this Saturday, December 12, in Tennessee. A representative
of Team Link, the same as Gabriel Napão, Funch is one
of team leader Marco Alvan’s great hopes. Ricardo, otherwise
known as “Golden Boy”, will face Johnny Hendricks,
another undefeated fighter.
“From
the fights I’ve seen of his, he was very dominant and really
good. But who isn’t? The UFC is where the best are, so I’m
going to give it my all,” says Funch on the official UFC
website.
“On
facing an undefeated opponent, Ricardo is unworried. Aware of
Hendricks’s strengths, he worked hard on his wrestling.
“I’ve
fought undefeated guys in the past and I can tell you the pressure
doesn’t come from my or his record. The pressure is fighting
in the UFC. He has been through something I haven’t been
through yet, but I know I’ll do well psychologically. Obviously,
I’ve been training more wrestling than I am used to so I
can face Johnny, but the rest is the same old routine that got
me into the UFC. That means brushing up on my striking and submissions.”
And
if confidence is a good start to entering the organization on
the right foot, the Bahia native has no lack of it.
“I’ll
fight well, because my aim isn’t to just make it to the
UFC, but to beat all my opponents and eventually be top 10. Some
people say it’s better to debut in a preliminary fight,
because there are less people watching. I say I won’t feel
the difference between 20 thousand and a million people. To me
the pressure’s the same, but I’ll shine,” he says
in closing.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Joe
Rogan’s interesting comment about Roy Nelson and Elite XC
By Zach
Arnold
So,
during Roy Nelson’s ring introduction on The Ultimate Fighter
tonight, Rogan was praising Nelson as a ground fighter who has
faced a high quality of opponent. He mentioned Elite XC for some
reason and bluntly said that Elite XC was known as the promotion
that paid it’s fighters to stand up. We know about what
happened with Jeremy Lappen (who is going to be running California’s
amateur MMA scene) and stand-up gate, but I never expected UFC
to bring it up (especially so randomly) on television.
Regarding
Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz III… that is an ugly fight
that I think will draw a cold PPV buyrate. The fight that would
have made the most sense was Liddell vs. Kimbo at 215 pounds,
but you can’t have either as a coach. When I heard the announcement
of Liddell/Ortiz III, it reminded me so much of WCW booking from
a decade ago.
If
I could get a tightly-edited 2 hour broadcast instead of a sloppily-produced
3 hour live broadcast, I’ll take the taped broadcast any
day. Comparing the K-1 produced show at Yokohama Arena on TV
versus the UFC show at the Palms… holy $*Q&! Zuffa’s
production team really could use some time off to study how Fuji
TV produces a show. Wow.
I
really thought tonight’s show could have been a good launching
point to build momentum for next week’s Memphis PPV. Instead,
I didn’t even feel like UFC was even giving a good faith
effort in hyping up the Memphis show outside of the boilerplate
interview segment with Penn and Sanchez. Just an incredibly lackluster
build-up for the event.
Someone
in the comments section mentioned this but it was a thought I
was pondering tonight… remember when UFC announced Lorenzo
Fertitta joining the company as an “earthshattering”
announcement? How would you consider his job performance right
now?
I
cannot recall a fighter grabbing defeat from the jaws of victory
like I did with Houston Alexander did on Saturday night. I was
laughing out loud when Kimbo Slice nearly finished him off with
a choke.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Tavares
vs. Lentz, Sadollah vs. Blackburn Confirmed for Fight Night 20
By FCF Staff
The
Ultimate Fighting Championship has confirmed two more bouts for
the promotion’s upcoming January 11th Fight Night event,
which will take place in Fairfax, Virginia. The card will be
headlined by a lightweight tilt between former “Ultimate
Fighter” competitors Gray Maynard and Nate Diaz.
At
welterweight, Amir Sadollah (3-1) will get right back into the
swing of things, as the former TUF winner will take on Brad Blackburn
(15-9). Sadollah competed recently at UFC 106 on November 21st,
and dominated the veteran Phil Baroni, en route to a Unanimous
Decision win.
Blackburn
hasn’t fought since the TUF 9 Finale in June, when he worked
his way to a Split Decision over Edgar Garcia. The IFL vet has
now gone 3-0 since arriving in the UFC.
Tavares
(14-3) will step in for the injured Jeremy Stephens to fight
Nik Lentz. Due to injuries, the American Top Team lightweight
only competed once in 2009, as Tavares defeated Manny Gamburyan
by UD in January.
Lentz
(17-3-1) recently made his Octagon debut a successful won, by
earning a UD victory over Rafaello Oliveira, at UFC 103 in September.
Lentz has won 7 straight bouts heading into 2010.
Some
of the other bouts scheduled for Fight Night 20 include Efrain
Escudero vs. Evan Dunham, Aaron Simpson vs. Tom Lawlor and Chris
Leben vs. Jay Silva.
Source: Full Contact Fighter
|
Quote
of the Day
"Better
to do something imperfectly than to do nothing perfectly."
Robert H. Schuller
|
UFC
107 (12/12 Memphis at FedEx Forum)
By Zach Arnold
Today!
Dark
matches
Welterweights
(170 pounds): Kevin Burns vs. TJ Grant
Welterweights (170 pounds): DaMarques Johnson vs. Edgar Garcia
Middleweights (185 pounds): Rousimar Palhares vs. Lucio Linhares
Welterweights (170 pounds): Johny Hendricks vs. Ricardo Funch
Lightweights (155 pounds): Matt Wiman vs. Shane Nelson
Middleweights (185 pounds): Alan Belcher vs. Wilson Gouveia
Main card
Heavyweights
(up to 265 pounds): Paul Buentello vs. Stefan Struve
Lightweights (155 pounds): Kenny Florian vs. Clay Guida
Welterweights (170 pounds): Jon Fitch vs. Mike Pierce
Heavyweights (up to 265 pounds): Frank Mir vs. Cheick Kongo
UFC Lightweight Title match: BJ Penn (champion) vs. Diego Sanchez
(challenger)
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Pros
Pick: Penn vs. Sanchez
by Mike Sloan
B.J. Penn puts his UFC lightweight title on the line Saturday
against Diego Sanchez in the main event of UFC 107. The Hawaiian
is the more complete fighter, as his overall striking is better
than Sanchez’s and his submission game is second to none.
Yet
it’s not out of the question that the title could change
hands. Penn seems to be a much more dedicated fighter these days,
but Sanchez’s bottomless gas tank and determination will
pose a challenge.
How
do the pros see the matchup? Sherdog.com caught up with numerous
fighters and trainers for their views on Penn vs. Sanchez.
Mac
Danzig: BJ is Mr. Talented and everyone knows it, but there is
more to fighting than just talent. I’ve been really impressed
with Diego lately; it seems 155 is a good fit for him. He has
the right kind of style to be beat BJ. I don’t think he’ll
finish BJ, but I think he’ll win the decision. He deserves
it. He’s been working hard for a long time, plus he seems
like a bit of a nut, which is an endearing quality. Go Diego.
Jason
Lambert: BJ by TKO or submission.
Derrick
Noble: This should be an exciting fight while it lasts. I am
going to go with B.J. by TKO in round three. I think Diego will
come out fast like he usually does, but I think he’s going
to get shut down as the fight goes on and will eventually fall
to B.J.’s superior power and technique.
Jeff
Monson: Sanchez by decision.
Mike
Ciesnolevicz: BJ Penn will win the fight based on being more
well-rounded. His boxing will make the difference, neutralizing
Diego’s cardio in the fight. No doubt Diego deserves the
title shot, but he will suffer the same fate as Joe Stevenson
and Kenny Florian. BJ Penn by the lion kill rear-naked choke
is my pick. I can’t see anyone at 155 that beats BJ Penn.
The belt is his until he decides to give it up.
Brodie
Farber: I’m going with the underdog and picking Diego to
stop BJ late in the fourth or fifth.
Mike
Whitehead: BJ by second-round submission.
Brian
Warren: That’s going to be a great fight. I want BJ to win,
but Sanchez is tough as nails.
Charlie
Brenneman: Penn will come out of this a winner. Diego is good,
no doubt, but B.J. is on another level. He’s been in with
the best of them, and he knows how to get it done. Everyone questions
his conditioning, but he’s been in top-notch shape for his
last several fights. He had a weakness, and he corrected it.
Diego can “Yes!” all he wants, but will he get the
victory? No! B.J. by decision.
Roland
Sarria: BJ Penn will win by a stoppage. He will slow the pace
and make Sanchez fight his fight and use his experience to control
and dominate the young lion.
Chris
Weidman: Penn by submission. B.J. will win a scramble off one
of the many Sanchez takedown attempts and come out on top. Once
B.J. gets on top, he will ground-and-pound and eventually lock
on a submission for the win.
Duke
Roufus: Great match! BJ is better at striking and wrestling.
Diego’s best option is on the ground. My prediction? BJ
Penn.
Kevin
Burns: I think BJ will keep Diego at bay with his jab and frustrate
him with his head movement. In the end I see BJ winning a decision.
Elvis
Sinosic: For once I'm going to keep this short. Diego's strength
is his jiu jitsu. He has improved standup and aggressive takedowns.
BJ's strength is his BJJ. BJ has strong takedowns and defense.
BJ has very effective boxing. BJ's biggest weakness (in his welterweight
fights) has been his cardio. BJ has shown improved cardio at
lightweight. Diego is known for having good cardio. I think BJ
has what it takes to beat Diego, though Diego will prove a tough
opponent. Diego's best chance is if he can draw the fight out
to the championship rounds. Saying that, BJ will win this match.
I'm also expecting a fairly exciting match as well.
The
pros heavily favor B.J. Penn.
Zac George: After a lengthy discussion with the authorities,
assault charges will be dropped against BJ Penn.
Travis
Wiuff: BJ by whatever he wants. Nobody can beat BJ at 155 when
he is motivated and in shape.
Travis
Lutter: I think BJ will be too much for (Diego).
Adam
Singer: It seems to me that Diego has spent the last few years
trying to become B.J. Penn. Well, I still believe the original
B.J. is the best B.J. Penn by TKO in round three. Penn does everything
Diego does but better.
Nick
Thompson: I think Diego out-hustles BJ en route to a ground-and-pound
stoppage in three.
Scott
Bieri: Technique vs. tenacity. Diego may outwork Penn, stealing
rounds and the belt. More likely, Penn’s jab and counter
wrestling will keep Sanchez at bay. Three rounds to two; Baby
Jay Penn retains his control of the lightweight division.
Apollo
Sebastian: No one seems to believe me that if it gets past the
third round that it will be dangerous for BJ because of Diego's
tenacity and will. I've trained Diego and I know what's inside
his head when it's fight time. I got Diego via ground-and-pound
or submission in the later rounds. Don't get me wrong; BJ is
my boy, so is Diego and I know what Diego is capable of at fight
time. Trust me on this: Diego's BJJ is sick right now. Again,
you hear from me alone: Diego by submission.
Rory
Singer: My pick on this fight is Penn. I believe he has the edge
in both the stand-up and the ground. He has also proven to be
very difficult to take down. I don’t see Diego being able
to damage him on the feet or put him on his back. The only way
I can see this fight going to Diego is if he pushes his usual
frantic pace and Penn can’t keep up. Considering his dismantling
of Joe Stevenson, Sean Sherk and Kenny Florian, I can’t
see this actually happening, though. I believe Penn wins via
submission -- strikes or rear-naked choke.
Robin
Black: This is gonna be an insane fight. I'm sure a lot of people
will say, "You just can't bet against BJ.” Well, you
almost can't, but I will. This is a crazy test for BJ for a number
of reasons. Diego Sanchez absolutely believes in himself and
believes he can beat BJ. Diego Sanchez is in wicked shape and
will put a nuts pace on BJ. Diego Sanchez will have better cardio
as that pace affects both guys later in the fight. Skill-wise?
BJ's boxing is amazing, but Sanchez's striking has looked very,
very crisp and creative too. I think the wrestling skills are
comparable between the two. And, jiu jitsu-wise, Sanchez's corner
(Saulo Ribeiro) is one of a very few capable of preparing a skilled
fighter like Sanchez for this fight. I'll bet on Diego Sanchez
to win the last three rounds of a fight-of-the-year candidate.
Patrick
Cote: BJ all the way.
Billy
MacDonald: It doesn't matter how this one ends; everyone will
be left with just one word to say, “WOW!” BJ seems
to be really focused on this one, and Diego seems as confident
as ever. As always, everyone is questioning BJ's conditioning,
and if Diego is going to win, he will have to set the pace of
this fight and keep it up. I don't see this being too much of
a ground war with the fight quickly coming back up to the feet
after some impressive scrambles. Part of me wants to say that
Diego is going to take this one, but I just can't commit to it.
Long story short, Penn via decision.
Gabe
Ruediger: BJ (wins). Diego has improved leaps and bounds, but
BJ is still on another level. The biggest benefit Diego has is
his cardio, but that was supposed to be Sherk’s secret weapon
as well. Now that BJ has found his drive, I don’t think
there is anyone to beat him at lightweight. It should be a competitive
fight, though. When it’s over, I have no idea who the UFC
can bring in to vie for the title after this.
Eddy
Millis: It’s interesting. After seeing the Diego and Penn
interviews, my gut tells me Diego could pull this off by attrition.
He seems focused. I was impressed on how much his standup has
improved. With that being said, BJ has got the power and technique.
This just may be Diego’s time. Diego, 5th round.
Stephane
Vigneault: BJ (via) split decision. He is a phenom at 155. It’s
gonna be a close fight, but he is gonna win this one again.
Ray
Elbe: Diego Sanchez is a beast, and one of the most intense fighters
in the UFC. That being said, BJ Penn is the best lightweight
in the world and beats Diego in the third round by opening up
a large can of Red Hawaiian Punch.
Enson
Inoue: BJ Penn by rear-naked choke in the second round.
Shamar
Bailey: I’m picking B.J. Penn by submission. Sanchez is
tough but is nowhere close to the toughest opponent that Penn
has faced. I don’t see Sanchez throwing anything new at
Penn beyond a high tempo and lots of scrambles. If Penn has prepared
properly for all of this, he will win by submission in the third
or fourth round.
Pros
who picked Penn: 24
Pros who picked Sanchez: 6
Pros who couldn’t decide: 1
Source: Sherdog
|
UFC
107 Preview: The Main Card
by Tomas Rios
The end-of-the-year mixed martial arts binge continues with UFC
107 “Penn vs. Sanchez,” which airs live on pay-per-view
this Saturday from the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tenn., and gives
the natives a much-needed respite from the putrid NBA franchise
that calls The Bluff City home.
The
main card features Diego Sanchez and his super mean game face
challenging reigning lightweight champion B.J. Penn, who has
somehow won more fans by jumping out of a pool than by beating
people up inside the cage. Go figure.
There
are more reasons to plunk down the dough for the PPV, however,
as the main card also showcases MMA’s Samson, a guy who
utilizes Guerilla jiu-jitsu and, of course, various other angry
dudes hitting one another hard. Settle in for some grown man-worthy
fight talk, and make sure to keep the hate mail coming.
Paul
Buentello vs. Stefan Struve
Stefan
StruveThe Breakdown: The old striker-versus-grappler archetype
gets dusted off for this heavyweight dustup, as Buentello looks
to make a worthwhile return to the UFC against Holland’s
jiu-jitsu Gumby. Make no mistake -- this fight revolves around
whether or not Struve, a replacement for Todd Duffee, can drag
Buentello to the mat before he gets removed from consciousness.
The
task will not be as difficult as Buentello would like, since
he does not use his jab particularly well and has never shown
proper takedown defense; not a good combination when one’s
paycheck depends on staying upright. While Struve may be no Karl
Gotch, he has proven more than happy to pull guard or simply
latch on and start going for his submissions, regardless of whether
or not his opponent wants to go down.
The
X-Factor: Struve’s chin hardly seems ideal in a division
where 265-pound super mutants are quickly becoming the norm.
Buentello still has lots of snap in his punches and only needs
Struve to oblige him ever so slightly to turn his brains into
a zombie milkshake.
The
Bottom Line: Hope Struve wins via submission. Who can bear the
awkwardness of watching Buentello try and get the crowd to echo
his catchphrase during the post-fight interview again? Let us
all hope we are fortunate enough to be spared the embarrassment.
Jon
Fitch vs. Mike Pierce
The
Breakdown: Thanks to injuries sustained by both Ricardo Almeida
and Thiago Alves, Fitch now has to tangle with a twice-beaten
prospect in the Wrestlemania match of the night. With future
challengers to Georges St. Pierre’s welterweight crown in
short supply, this could be the match that catapults Pierce into
contention or keeps alive Fitch’s hopes of a rematch with
the Canadian phenom.
This
fight will come down to who performs as the better wrestler,
since Fitch and Pierce rely on the top control special to make
their living. The former, however, has proven far better at finishing
his takedowns and establishing top control than Pierce, who struggled
mightily to corral Brock Larson at UFC Fight Night 19 and wasted
a lot of cardio on second- and third-effort takedowns.
In
addition, Fitch seems much better equipped to handle stalemates,
as his dirty boxing and overall striking skills have improved
vastly over time. Pierce, by comparison, relies mostly on throwing
powerful individual strikes that are too telegraphed to land
with any consistency. Few saw Pierce’s match with Justin
Haskins at WEC 39, but his takedowns were stifled for two rounds
before a miracle left hook saved him from a decision loss. If
taking down Haskins was too tall a task for Pierce, imagine him
trying to out-wrestle Fitch.
The
X-Factor: Like any bundle of fast-twitch muscle fibers, Pierce
can throw hellacious punches, and he has put more than a few
fighters to sleep with his overhand right and left hook. Fitch
absorbed a borderline criminal beating from St. Pierre in their
bout at UFC 87, but that does not mean he can afford to get into
any reckless exchanges with Pierce. Look alive anytime these
two trade strikes because Pierce will always be a split-second
away from dropping the hammer.
The
Bottom Line: Banking on Pierce knocking out Fitch seems about
as wise as hiring Roman Polanski as your daughter’s babysitter.
In other words, Fitch takes this one by unanimous decision after
three rounds of vintage ground-and-pound.
Frank
Mir vs. Cheick Kongo
The
Breakdown: In a key heavyweight bout matching two fighters coming
off demoralizing losses, Mir and Kongo could not be more different
inside the cage, though they do share a desperate need for a
win. With Cain Velasquez, Shane Carwin and Junior dos Santos
all sniffing title shots, the top of the division has grown more
crowded than a Wu-Tang clan family reunion; a defeat for either
fighter could result in the road back to the top closing permanently.
The
obvious disparities in skill lie on the feet and the mat, as
Kongo has proven himself one of the premier strikers in the division
and Mir’s jiu-jitsu has claimed a number of submission victims.
Even more important however are Kongo’s lacking takedown
defense and bizarre habit of working with his back against the
cage -- an ongoing tactical error that cuts off the Frenchman’s
escape routes and allows his opponents to collapse the pocket
and immediately trap him. Mir certainly does not have the striking
to survive many exchanges with Kongo, but he does have a slick
lead uppercut/left hook combination that allows him to close
distance and set up the outside leg sweep he favors. That move
should be especially effective against Kongo, who stands far
too upright and lacks the balance to keep his spindly legs from
being a prime target for any takedown-minded foe.
Once
on the mat, Kongo often fails to recover guard; his main strategy
seems to revolve around surrendering his back in a gambit that
rarely pays off. Kongo will not need more than a handful of strikes
to turn the former heavyweight champion’s face into silly
putty, but his strategic gaffes are far too glaring for a fighter
of Mir’s intelligence to overlook.
The
X-Factor: How Mir goes about getting inside will be critical.
Kongo has shown a knack for posting against the cage and using
underhooks to fend off takedowns, but he struggles when opponents
get deep on him with trips or suck his base out with single-
or double-leg takedowns. How Mir sets up the takedown will prove
just as important, as rushing Kongo with anything wide or sloppy
will only leave him open to the titanic Frenchman’s crushing
jab/right cross combination.
The
Bottom Line: Proper game planning has become more and more fundamental
with the sport’s growth, and Kongo’s struggles have
a lot to do with his relying on landing strikes before getting
taken down. Mir, meanwhile, has developed into a cerebral fighter
who hones in on his opponent’s weaknesses and has an actual
plan for exposing them. The tap-or-snap special awaits Kongo,
as Mir traps him against the cage, lands a trip and quickly latches
hold of whatever limb his foe decides to expose.
UFC
Lightweight Championship
B.J. Penn vs. Diego Sanchez
The
Breakdown: After nearly three years of struggling and ultimately
failing to earn a title bout in the UFC welterweight division,
Sanchez made the overdue move down to lightweight and now finds
himself lined up for a shot at the strap. The downside? The gold
rests around the waist of Penn, who has not lost at 155 pounds
in almost eight years.
Sanchez
would like to work his rabid top game on Penn, but that seems
unlikely at best considering the Hawaiian’s impregnable
takedown defense and his almost gyroscopic balance make it virtually
impossible to catch him off guard. Kenny Florian wasted a lot
of time and effort trying to haul down Penn in their bout at
UFC 101, and Sanchez would do well to learn the obvious lessons
from that fight. Sanchez can use his vastly improved footwork
to move in and out on Penn, who prefers a more methodical pace.
The tools are there, as Sanchez uses the lead knee and left uppercut
quite well from the southpaw stance, and his sneaky left high
kick has become a proven brain-scrambler. Those are all strikes
Sanchez can use effectively against Penn, who relies almost entirely
on his hands.
That
does not mean Penn will find himself overmatched on the feet,
as Sanchez often leaves his left hand low, especially when he
throws a jab or leg kick, and Penn’s counter right hand
seems custom-made to exploit that fundamental flaw. Both Joe
Stevenson and Clay Guida caught Sanchez repeatedly with the right
hand in their fights, something Sanchez cannot afford against
Penn.
Penn’s
jab, which has become the backbone of his boxing, stands as the
other obstacle to Sanchez controlling distance. Sean Sherk tried
to move in and out on Penn in their fight at UFC 84 and ate three
rounds worth of jabs for his trouble. Unless Sanchez can find
the flaws in Penn that so many have failed to uncover, the same
fate awaits him.
The
X-Factor: Sanchez may not be able to take down Penn, but the
opposite certainly does not hold true. Even if Sanchez can find
some success striking with Penn, it may only be a matter of time
before the gears get switched and he ends up on his back against
arguably the best grappler in the game. Hardly a pushover on
the mat, Sanchez’s jiu-jitsu remains heavily geared towards
holding the top position; when he has had to use his guard, results
have been mixed.
The
Bottom Line: Sanchez will try to overwhelm Penn with volume,
but he will quickly discover the champion’s iron chin and
leather skin can easily absorb anything thrown their way. Once
Penn finds the range on his jab and the timing on his counter
right, feel free to sound your final call, as it will only be
a matter of time before Sanchez makes a fight-ending mistake.
Watch for Penn to drop him late in the third round and notch
a ground-and-pound technical knockout, continuing a reign of
terror that has no end in sight.
Source: Sherdog
|
HUGHES
FIRMS UP RENZO BOUT FOR UFC IN ABU DHABI
by Ken Pishna
UFC president Dana White on Thursday revealed that Matt Hughes
would make his next appearance in the Octagon in April. He hinted
at Renzo Gracie as Hughes’ opponent, but didn’t outright
confirm it.
“Sounds
good to me,” he said of the proposed bout through a Cheshire
grin.
Well,
Hughes took care of the rest on his official Web site later in
the day.
“I
see that Dana has let the cat out of the bag. So I can tell you
what I know, on April 10th I will be fighting Renzo Gracie in
Abu Dhabi,” the former UFC welterweight champion wrote.
“I haven’t signed any paperwork and I don’t think
Renzo has either; but I think this fight is going to happen.”
He
indicated that he would begin “serious training” at
the New Year.
Not
only does Hughes’ post firm up the bout with Gracie, who
also talked about it in a recent Portuguese language interview,
but it also firms up a date for the UFC’s debut in Abu Dhabi.
Gracie
(13-6-1) hasn’t fought in nearly three years, but is on
a three-fight streak that includes wins over Frank Shamrock,
Pat Miletich, and Carlos Newton. Hughes (43-7) hasn’t fought
since a May win over Matt Serra, who is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
black belt under Gracie.
The
fight is a prime example of bouts that have an intriguing story
line, but don’t necessarily have title implications, something
the UFC could use as it struggles to hold together headline bouts
while the majority of its champions are injured or otherwise
on the sidelines.
"Sometimes
it's not about where’s the guy been. There's this whole
beef about Renzo choking out Pat Miletich (Hughes’ friend
and former trainer),” commented White. “Sometimes guys
just want to fight, and Renzo's been training. He wants to fight
Matt Hughes and Matt Hughes wants to fight him."
There’s
a fight that Gracie would like to avenge, as well. Hughes defeated
Renzo’s cousin, Royce, by TKO at UFC 60.
It’s
not at all surprising that the bout would take place in Abu Dhabi.
Renzo has served as the personal jiu-jitsu instructor to H.H.
General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince
of Abu Dhabi. The Gracie family in general is very popular in
Abu Dhabi due to its ties with the Sheikh and his family.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Wand
and Alejarra end partnership
by Rafael Werneck
One
of the best known partnerships between MMA fighter and physical
conditioning coach has come to an end. After a little under four
years of working together, Wanderlei Silva and Rafael Alejarra
opted to head their separate ways.
The
two even shared a home in Las Vegas when the former Pride middleweight
champion first moved to the world capital of professional fighting.
The dup also worked hard on setting up Wand’s academy in
his adopted home.
No
official announcement has been made as to who will take Alejarra’s
place in Wanderlei Silva’s physical conditioning preparations,
nor what the next step the Brazilian trainer will be.
Beyond
Silva, Alejarra has worked with Demian Maia, brothers Saulo and
Xande Ribeiro, among others.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Are
8 UFC Title Fights a Year Enough?
by Michael David Smith
On Saturday night UFC lightweight champion B.J. Penn will defend
his title against Diego Sanchez at UFC 107. It will be the eighth
and final UFC title fight of 2009.
Is
that enough? It's not all that many future than they've had in
past years (there were 11 in 2008, but two of those were for
interim titles, and nine in 2007, one of which was for an interim
title) and yet as I look back on this year in the UFC, I just
feel like we haven't seen enough title fights.
The
UFC has a tough balancing act with scheduling its fights. They're
fairly entrenched in their current business model of averaging
a pay-per-view show a month, and that means they need 12 main
events this year. But Dana White's common refrain that UFC fighters
fight three times a year aside, we don't get 15 title fights
a year. And it's probably not realistic to count on even 12 title
fights a year, at least as long as there are only five weight
classes in the UFC.
I'd
like to see title fights more often, and I always feel like a
pay-per-view without one isn't a very good deal. On the other
hand, I don't want to see MMA turn into boxing, where there are
so many championships that title fights are no longer special.
Like I said, it's a tough balancing act.
Unfortunately,
we probably won't see any more than eight title fights in 2010.
The first two pay-per-views of next year, UFC 108 and UFC 109,
have already been officially announced as having main events
that aren't for titles, and UFC 110 -- though not formally announced
-- will almost surely not have a title fight either.
We
don't know what the physical condition of the UFC's lightweight
champion will be after Saturday night, we probably won't see
Georges St. Pierre and Anderson Silva defend the welterweight
and middleweight belts until the spring, light heavyweight champion
Lyoto Machida is penciled in to defend his title in May, and
heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar is so sick that we have absolutely
no idea when he'll fight again.
So
enjoy Penn vs. Sanchez. UFC title fights are rare things these
days.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Line-Up
for UFC 109 Confirmed
Couture vs. Coleman to Headline; Rolles Gracie to Make Octagon
Debut
By FCF Staff
The
Ultimate Fighting Championship has confirmed the line-up today
for the promotion’s upcoming February 6th event in Las Vegas,
Nevada, a card that will see Randy Couture fight Mark Coleman
in the main event. UFC 109 will take place at the Mandalay Bay
Events Center.
Couture
(17-10) is coming off a Unanimous Decision victory over Brandon
Vera at UFC 105 in November. The win was Couture’s first
since August, 2007, when he stopped Gabriel Gonzaga in the third
round at UFC 74. Prior to his victory over Vera, the former champion
had lost back-to-back fights to Brock Lesnar and Antonio Rodrigo
Nogueira.
Coleman
(16-9) will also head into UFC 109 having won by UD in his last
bout. In July, Coleman worked his way to a decision victory over
Stephan Bonnar, at UFC 100. The veteran had been scheduled to
fight Tito Ortiz in November, but Coleman was forced to withdraw
due to a knee injury.
At
welterweight, Josh Koschek (16-4) will face Paulo Thiago (12-1)
for a second time; the Brazilian fighter stopped Koscheck in
the first round at UFC 95 in February.
Antonio
Rogerio Nogueira (18-3) will be matched up against another notable
light-heavyweight, following his impressive stoppage of Luiz
Cane in November, as the UFC has announced that “Lil Nog”
will take on Vera (11-4).
As
expected, middleweight contender Nate Marquardt (32-8-2) will
take on Chael Sonnen (25-10-1). Marquardt is coming a highlight
reel KO of Demian Maia in August, while Sonnen took out the highly
regarded Yushin Okami by Unanimous Decision, at UFC 104 in October.
The
promotion has also confirmed that Matt Serra (16-6) will return
to the Octagon for the first time, since he lost by decision
to Matt Hughes in May, as he will square off with Frank Trigg
(19-7). Trigg returned to the UFC in September and was TKO’d
by Koscheck.
The
Octagon debut of Rolles Gracie (3-0) has also been confirmed.
The accomplished jiu-jitsu practitioner last competed in September,
when he submitted Peter Graham in the first round, at an Art
of War event. Gracie will fight Mustapha al-Turk; the British
heavyweight hasn’t fought since June, when he lost by first
round TKO to Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic.
UFC
109 Line-Up
Mark
Coleman vs. Randy Couture
Josh Koscheck vs. Paulo Thiago
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Brandon Vera
Nate Marquardt vs. Chael Sonnen
Matt Serra vs. Frank Trigg
Demian Maia vs. Dan Miller
Phillipe Nover vs. Rob Emerson
Mac Danzig vs. Justin Buchholz
Mustapha Al Turk vs. Rolles Gracie
Ronys Torres vs. Melvin Guillard
Tim Hague vs. Chris Tuchscherer
Source: Full Contact Fighter
|
Linhares
promises Spartan war with Toquinho
by Carlos Eduardo Ozório
Linhares
promises war. On a five-fight winning streak, Lucio Linhares
makes his UFC debut this Saturday in Tennessee. The Spartan,
as he is known, will face off against compatriot Rousimar Toquinho,
a powerful Jiu-Jitsu exponent. But nothing scares Linhares.
“I
know Toquinho is a phenomenon, but I’m going through a great
phase in my career. I won my last five fights and I’ll take
that with me into the octagon,” says the fighter, in an
interview on the official UFC website.
Toquinho
hasn’t fought since January, when he was sidelined by injury.
Unconcerned about facing a countryman, the BTT representative’s
thoughts are entirely on returning to action.
“Man,
I can’t wait to get in there to fight. I’m going nuts,
for so long I’ve been away. I can’t take the wait any
longer,” he told GRACIEMAG.com.
Cautious
about facing such a dangerous adversary, Linhares promises he
will be at his best to not make a false step on his debut.
“I
don’t want to wait for the action, because he will try and
catch me by surprise with something no one expects. That’s
why I’m going to go after him. I know my Jiu-Jitsu is good
enough to face anyone in the UFC; this is the moment of truth
for me,” said Linhares in finishing.
Check
out the complete card for UFC 107:
UFC
107
December 12
Memphis, Tennessee
MAIN
CARD
-
B.J. Penn vs Diego Sanchez
- Cheick Kongo vs Frank Mir
- Jon Fitch vs Mike Pierce
- Kenny Florian vs Clay Guida
- Paul Buentello vs Stefan Struve
PRELIMINARY
BOUTS
-
Alan Belcher vs Wilson Gouveia
- Shane Nelson vs Matt Wiman
- Ricardo Funch vs Johny Hendricks
- Lucio Linhares vs Rousimar Palhares
- Edgar Garcia vs DaMarques Johnson
- Kevin Burns vs T.J. Grant
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Signed
by Strikeforce, Henderson already considers facing Fedor
After much speculation, Dan Henderson finally defined his future
in MMA. The fighter, who made history at now-defunct Pride FC
as the champion of two weight divisions, bid farewell to the
UFC and signed a four-fight deal with his former employer’s
greatest competitor, Strikeforce.“I’m really happy
to be a part of Strikeforce. Strikeforce and its growing roster
of world-class talent will offer me many exciting fights and
has the ability to bring many new fans from all around the world
to mixed martial arts,” Henderson said in a press release.
Henderson
figured on the Olympic wrestling team of the United States on
two occasions. He fought five times in the UFC and won three.
The fighter had complaints regarding his salary and even Brazilian
Vitor Belfort’s cutting to the front of the line in the
middleweight division. It is worth noting how Henderson had two
opportunities to win UFC belts, losing back-to-back title challenges
to Quinton Jackson and Anderson Silva for the light heavyweight
and middleweight belts, respectively.
Although
he has only just arrived at his new home, at 39 years of age,
the former Pride champion is already mentioning the possibility
of facing Fedor Emelianenko.
Without
remarking on the possibility of such a matchup, the wrestler’s
new boss, Scott Coker, is very happy with the weight-carrying
reinforcement. “We are excited to receive him in Strikeforce,”
says the Strikeforce CEO in finishing.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
5.2
Million Watched Slice vs. Alexander
By FCF Staff
According
to a news release sent out this afternoon by Spike TV, 5.2 million
viewers watched Saturday night’s bout between Kevin “Kimbo
Slice” Ferguson and Houston Alexander, which took place
on “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 10 Finale in Las Vegas.
The report goes on to state that the card was the most watched
finale in the program's history.
The
card, which saw Roy Nelson KO Brendan Schaub to win TUF 10, drew
an average of 3.7 million viewers and reportedly retained the
highest ratings on cable for December 5th, for men aged 18-34
and 18-49.
The
5 million plus viewership is the most to watch a live UFC fight
in 2009, in addition to being, the third most watched UFC card
ever.
During
the broadcast’s peak audience, Slice worked his way to a
Unanimous Decision over Alexander, to record his first UFC win.
Source: Full Contact Fighter
|
Transcript
of Marc Ratner interview on HDNet
By Zach Arnold
Recently,
HDNet host Ron Kruck did a satellite interview with Marc Ratner,
the former boss of the Nevada State Athletic Commission who currently
works for Zuffa (the parent company of UFC). Ratner has been
busy lobbying on behalf of Mixed Martial Arts in several states
in order to get the sport legislated in the 48 States that have
athletic commissions. Here is the transcript of the interview
that recently aired on the network.
Ratner:
“My main job is one of education and lobbying to get the
sport regulated wherever there is an athletic commission and
other places throughout the world.”
Kruck:
“Marc, you’re doing your job very well because a few
more states recently approved MMA regulations. Currently, how
many sanction Mixed Martial Arts?”
Ratner:
“As of today, 40 states, there’s 48 states that have
athletic commissions, 2 states — Alaska and Wyoming —
do not have an athletic commission. We’re currently in the
legislatures in New York, Wisconsin, and West Virginia, so we’re
very, very certain, feel strongly about that uh early next year
we will have those [three] states and then start working on Connecticut
and Vermont and a couple other ones.”
Kruck:
“You mentioned New York, Mark, it seems you’ve been
working with them a long time. How far away are they?”
Ratner:
“I really, uh, feel that we would have had New York finished
this year but their Senate broke down, they’re still not
back in session, so there’s a problem politically there.
It wasn’t about Mixed Martial Arts. I really think that
we will get approved, we’ve gotten through quite a few of
the committees. Maybe by February or March of next year.”
Kruck:
“So what has been the biggest obstacle in getting MMA into
New York?”
Ratner:
“It’s about education, uh, Ron. One of the problems
in the very beginning, uh, of MMA which was 1992, 1993, the advertisements
were No Holds Barred, anything goes. No rules, and certainly
you couldn’t have a sport like that that wasn’t a sport
with no rules. So there are still people in different places
where the sport’s not sanctioned yet who still think it’s
a Wild West sport without any rules.”
Kruck:
“Great point, Marc. Let’s switch topics now and talk
about refereeing in MMA. Are you pleased with the state of MMA
officiating right now?”
Ratner:
“It’s very important to deepen the pool of officials
so one of my goals, once we get the sport very well-regulated
and get through with our lobbying, is to get more judges and
more referees involved and really have them learn and uh there
will be more seminars. I think that the future of the sport,
besides getting new fighters, is dependant upon officials and
we’re certainly going to work on that end just to keep increasing
the knowledge of officials around the world.”
Kruck:
“In your opinion, currently what is the biggest issue with
MMA referees?”
Ratner:
“Well, Ron, what I found on the local level when we go to
whether it’s Oregon or it’s to Texas, we look at these
new officials and they’ve never had a fight as big as when
they have 12-to-15,000 people on them and sometimes they freeze,
they have to learn what it is to officiate in front of a big
crowd so that’s part of the problem. We have to have the
officials really understand the ground game because so many of
them don’t, when to stand the fighters up and that’s
one of the big problems with what we have. Also, the judges have
to be more consistent and that’s going to take some time
and we just got to keep making it evolve.”
Kruck:
“I couldn’t agree more, Marc. Are there some current
rules you’d like to see changed or modified?”
Ratner:
“I’m very happy with the Unified Rules, I think there
can always be some fine-tuning but until we get the sport fully
regulated in America, I would not want any changes.”
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Denis
Kang Explores Options Outside Octagon
by Ray Hui
Despite winning the Fight of the Night award at UFC 105, middleweight
Denis Kang's 10-month run with the UFC has come to an end for
his loss to Michael Bisping last month at the event in Manchester,
England.
FanHouse
confirmed the release Wednesday with the American Top Team and
while Kang's management would not specifically name the promotions
Kang is eyeing, they told FanHouse that the French-Korean Canadian
is currently in talks with several promotions in the US and abroad.
Fighting
for a laundry list of promotions since 1998, Kang made his long-awaited
UFC debut in January at UFC 93 against Alan Belcher, but the
hype was quickly derailed when he tapped out to a second-round
guillotine choke. Though he was demoted in his next fight to
the undercard at UFC 97 in April, he scored the high-profile
Bisping fight with a win against Xavier Foupa-Pokam.
Kang,
32-12-1 overall, finishes his UFC stint at 1-2.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
DECISIONS
ON LESNAR, INTERIM TITLE COMING SOON
by Damon
Martin
MEMPHIS – The questions surrounding the return of UFC heavyweight
champion Brock Lesnar continue to linger, but the picture is
starting to become somewhat clearer. The Minnesota native is
expecting news about a potential major surgery over the next
two months.
When
speaking with the media on Thursday, UFC president Dana White
said that Lesnar is still very ill. He also confirmed previous
reports that the champion was suffering from a bout of diverticulitis,
and indicated some major decisions concerning his health and
career are coming down the pipeline soon.
"We
won't know for probably another month and a half," White
said about the final prognosis on Lesnar's return. "He had
that minor surgery, he's going to change his diet, change some
things and see what happens.
"It
could be forever. We won't know for the next couple of months.
Obviously I'm hoping that's not the case, as I'm sure all of
you are. We'll see what happens."
The
champion's spirits were admittedly rattled because of the sickness
that struck him down just a couple of months ago, but has now
taken a more positive outlook on his fight future.
"He
believes he'll be back," White commented. "He's confident
and positive, he's in a much better place then when he was in
the hospital."
As
for the immediate title picture in the ever-growing heavyweight
division, White says it's still a waiting game to see if Lesnar
will require major surgery. If he does, decisions will happen
quickly on assigning a fight for an interim title.
"We've
still got to wait here a little bit and see what's going to happen
to him. Maybe he can come back, maybe he can't. We've got to
see what happens to him first. I'm going to wait and see if he
has to have this major surgery before I make any big decisions,"
said White.
"I've
got to wait to see what happens to Brock, but it won't be long.
We'll know about Brock in a month and a half and then I'll make
that decision. You've got Cain (Velasquez), you've got Shane
(Carwin), probably be one of those two."
Judging
by the timelines, answers could be in place by the end of January
to decide if Lesnar's return is imminent or if an interim champion
will be crowned.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
"Everybody
has to be somebody to somebody to be anybody."
Malcolm S. Forbes
|
UFC
107 (12/12 Memphis at FedEx Forum)
By Zach Arnold
Tomorrow
Dark
matches
¦Welterweights
(170 pounds): Kevin Burns vs. TJ Grant
¦Welterweights (170 pounds): DaMarques Johnson vs. Edgar
Garcia
¦Middleweights (185 pounds): Rousimar Palhares vs. Lucio
Linhares
¦Welterweights (170 pounds): Johny Hendricks vs. Ricardo
Funch
¦Lightweights (155 pounds): Matt Wiman vs. Shane Nelson
¦Middleweights (185 pounds): Alan Belcher vs. Wilson Gouveia
Main card
¦Heavyweights
(up to 265 pounds): Paul Buentello vs. Stefan Struve
¦Lightweights (155 pounds): Kenny Florian vs. Clay Guida
¦Welterweights (170 pounds): Jon Fitch vs. Mike Pierce
¦Heavyweights (up to 265 pounds): Frank Mir vs. Cheick
Kongo
¦UFC Lightweight Title match: BJ Penn (champion) vs. Diego
Sanchez (challenger)
Source: Fight Opinion
|
WOMBAT'S
WORLD OF COMBAT
Predictions for UFC 107: Penn vs. Sanchez
by Jeff "Wombat" Meszaros
Christmas
is just around the corner, and the person who won the last season
of The Ultimate Fighter was a jolly fellow with a pronounced
belly; possibly full of eggnog, candy canes and pine cones. Bear
in mind, I've been spending a lot of time in freshly-painted
rooms with poor air ventilation, but I see more than just a mild
coincidence there. Of course, if Roy Nelson really is Santa Clause,
as I might be suggesting, he surely would have done something
to prevent the UFC from naming Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell as
the coaches for the next season of TUF, which will now conclude
with a third incident of Liddell punching Ortiz in the face until
"The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" looks like a pug puppy
and then recites a series of excuses for his loss including a
raging case of hemorrhoids and the assertion that he just had
major spine surgery that morning. It won't happen for another
several months and I am already sick of it. Of course, Christmas
is the time for the endless repetition of things that make you
ill, like rum and eggnog, boxes of cheap chocolates with the
waxy consistency of candles, and clay-mation television specials
that have started to show hints of political incorrectness in
our increasingly delicate and nervous society, where bullying
reindeer would be sent to sensitivity counseling and Rudolph
himself would likely bow to the body-image pressures of society
and undergo plastic surgery to replace his glowing headlight
nose with something less offensive to the palate of the upper
class, and don't you dare think that plastic surgery for animals
isn't a burgeoning veterinary industry. We'll be seeing breast
implants on poodles by the end of the next decade, mark my words.
B.J.
Penn vs. Diego Sanchez
After
an introduction like that, I'll be the first to admit that I'm
hardly qualified to draw the line in society separating who should
be allowed to wander the streets unsupervised from who should
be locked in a padded room and be force-fed spoonfuls of apple-sauce
heavily laden with mind-stabilizers. Still, you have to admit
that there's something not right with either Penn or Sanchez,
both of whom seem to constantly operate with the sort of intensity
normally reserved for screaming arguments and pistol-duels at
dawn. Can you imagine a world where people celebrate victories
by licking blood from their knuckles? Or start their day with
an arm-pumping sprint to the coffee shop, sometimes concluding
with a flying knee? It wouldn't work. Thankfully, that sort of
behavior works well in the octagon, where the pleasantries of
modern civilization fall to the wayside and the law of the jungle
takes over. Stepping back into reality for a moment, does Sanchez
stand any chance of dethroning the Hawaiian king of the lightweight
division? Most rational people don't think so, since Penn has
dispatched other top lightweights like Kenny Florian, Joe Stevenson
and Sean Sherk with a speed and ferocity that reminds you of
feeding time at the zoo. Then again, Sanchez has somehow become
a super-striker under the tutelage of world jiu-jitsu champion
Saulo Riberio, which makes me wonder how his grappling would
improve if he switched teams again and signed on with kickboxing
coach Duke Roufus. Regardless, Penn has something intangible
on his side; and only a fool would bet against him. My Guess:
Sanchez by decision.
Frank
Mir vs. Cheick Kongo
Mir
has undergone a series of startling transformations in his career.
The universe owed him a debt of gratitude for defeating Tim Sylvia,
but instead it rewarded him with a motorcycle accident and a
broken leg. After that, for the lack of a better term, Mir was
a pudgy mess, and looked like he'd been on an all-donut diet
for quiet some time. Of course, it's hard to shed unwanted pounds
when half of your body is ensconced in a cast. Regardless, Mir's
new body did not serve him well in the octagon, where both Brandon
Vera and Marcio "Pe De Pano" Cruz dropped bombs on
him like a school-play re-enactment of the scene from "Lord
of the Flies" where they drop the boulder on Piggy. Miraculously,
Mir emerged from a shell of belly-fat, going from a pear-shaped
weeble-wobble to a chiseled titan not unlike his earlier self,
but now with the benefit of cardiovascular development. While
Mir 1.0 would get winded climbing the three steps into the octagon
and Mir 2.0 looked like a security guard at a Dunkin' Donuts,
Mir 3.0 showed a transformation nearly the opposite of the one
which befell former heavyweight king Mark Kerr. Suddenly, with
wins over Antoni Hardonk, Brock Lesnar and Antonio "Minotauro"
Nogueira, Mir was making everyone sit up like startled prairie
dogs who smell a predator in their midst. That being said, if
he chooses to stand and trade knuckle-flails with Kongo, he could
quickly find his eyes spun around to find a new home on the back
of his head. Considering his haircut, that could be a problem.
Kongo's fight with Heath Herring looked like a 3-year old child
wrestling a Golden Retriever puppy or, as I said immediately
afterwards, like two greased sailors rolling around on the deck
of a ship caught in the turmoil of a ferocious storm. Whichever
"comparison using like or as" you prefer, the end conclusion
is the same. Kongo has no jiu-jitsu in his arsenal and if Mir
can score a takedown, it will take more than wine, berets and
cigarettes for the giant Frenchman to barter his way out. My
Guess: Mir by TKO.
Jon
Fitch vs. Mike Pierce
Much
like Captain Marvel would be the most powerful superhero in comic-book
land if it weren't for the existence of Superman, Jon Fitch would
be the UFC welterweight champion if it weren't for the existence
of George St. Pierre. But, unfortunately for Captain Marvel and
Fitch respectively, Superman and St. Pierre are both around to
pee their superior urine into the second-rate cornflakes of the
next-best'ers. At least Captain Marvel can fall back on super-villainy
and the hoarding of Kryptonite, but Fitch is screwed. Of course,
the same can be said of almost everyone at 170-pounds in the
UFC. Until GSP retires, the rest of the division is really just
a competition to see who will get humiliated next. Pierce is
no joke with a win over Brock Larson on his resume but Fitch
is on another level; even if it isn't the same level as GSP.
For some reason, I feel like there should be sad slightly-European
violin music playing now. My Guess: Fitch by decision.
Ken
Florian vs. Clay Guida
Sometimes
fights don't live up to the hype. Anyone who watched Kimbo Slice
vs. Houston Alexander knows about that. Everyone expected a knock-down,
drag-out war and instead we got to see one bald guy running in
circles, kicking like a sissy at another bald guy. I was so frustrated
I threw my big-gulp at the TV, which was an immense problem since
I was over at my friend's place, watching the show on his new
plasma flat-screen. Still, I think I was justified in my decision.
With that in mind, there is no way on Earth that Florian vs.
Guida is going to turn out to be a stinker. It would be like
putting two mongooses with clothes-pins on their tails to piss
them off in a barrel and then, instead of a fearless fight to
the finish, seeing them have a polite discussion on political
issues. The only logical reaction would be to conclude you are
having a powerful hallucination and wait until your mind slides
back into the realm of reality, where ferocious creatures do
not wear librarian's sweaters and sip tea while calmly discussing
the latest stock market trends. What? Florian and Guida are going
to go straight at each other like some terrible accident involving
two luge sleds colliding head-to-head on the same track and then,
for the first time ever, the limb-tornado you see used in cartoons
to indicate a wild scrap will occur in real life. Who will emerge?
It's hard to say. Guida certainly has the edge in intensity,
and in hair, and probably in wrestling; while Florian gets the
nod for Muay Thai and jiu jitsu. Also, he would win a contest
to see who looks more like Ben Stiller, while Guida looks more
like the kid with the bladed boomerang from The Road Warrior.
It breaks my heart to have to pick a winner here, but life is
cruel, especially inside the confines of the octagon. My Guess:
Florian by decision.
Alan
Belcher vs. Wilson Gouveia
Normally,
predicting the outcomes of UFC fights is pretty easy, since octagon
matchmakers frequently pair fighters up knowing full well who
is going to end up laying sprawled out on the cage floor snoring
a dream of blood and misery through a mouth rendered newly-toothless.
Of course, sometimes things don't work out quite the way they,
or anyone, expects; but that doesn't mean they didn't have a
master plan sketched out to flesh out the high-light reel of
one fighter and give another a free night in intensive care.
Don't make me rattle off the examples, Sean Salmon. Considering
this, this particular UFC is a departure from the norm, with
at least two fights where it's anyone's guess who will come out
on top. Belcher vs. Gouveia is one of them, since both fighters
have a similar story to tell of their octagon adventures. Aside
from the fact that Gouveia is Brazilian and Belcher has a massive
tattoo of Johnny Cash on his arm, they are nearly the same fighter.
On second thought, they are totally different. Belcher is a kickboxer
while Gouveia is a jiu-jitsu enthusiast. Who wins? Honestly,
it doesn't matter since the 185-pound division is a traffic jam
of talent, with Vitor Belfort and Nate Marquardt caught in gridlock
over who should get the next shot at Anderson Silva. At least
Dan Henderson has freed things up a bit by signing with Strikeforce.
My Guess: Belcher by decision.
Paul
Buentello vs. Stefan Struve
Buentello's
nickname is "The Headhunter" for a good reason, and
it has nothing to do with any links to a tribe of island savages
with swords and bad attitudes; although it would be cool if that
were true, which it isn't. Instead, the reality (bland by comparison)
is that the man has never thrown a punch to the body in his life,
or at least not one that wasn't quickly followed by a punch to
the head. At 6-foot 11-inches tall, Struve's head will be somewhere
up in the lighting rig when he steps into the cage, but something
tells me that Buentello is salivating at the idea of taking on
someone with a body type not unlike one of those "volleyball
on a stick" carnival games where bar-going goons see how
hard they can punch while totally drunk. My Guess: Buentello
by KO.
Jeff
Meszaros welcomes reader feedback at wombat@fcfighter.com and
can be heard as the host of FCF Radio.
Source: Full Contact Fighter
|
Lyoto
nearly ready for return
by Carlos Eduardo Ozório
Lyoto Machida was a show apart at Platinum Fight last Saturday,
in Rio de Janeiro. A receptive star, he graciously took photos
with and handed autographs out to his fans, who requested them
over and over again. At a given moment he also had a chat with
Paulão Filho, who spared no praise for the UFC champion.
In a conversation with GRACIEMAG.com, Machida spoke of his port-surgery
recovery, when he will get to work preparing for Maurício
Shogun and much more. Check out the interview:
It
demands special preparations” Lyoto Machida, regarding Shogun
rematch
How
is your hand recovering?
Recovery
is going well. One more week and I take the brace off and intensify
the physiotherapy. I’m still doing aerobic training and
weight lifting for my lower body. I’m keeping fit not to
have to start from scratch when I get back to training.
And
when do you get back to work for your rematch with Shogun?
At
the moment I’m kind of on holiday, training real light.
Starting at the beginning of January I’ll gear my preparations
towards the Shogun fight. It was a really tough fight and I’ll
need to do special preparations to be at high performance at
the event in Montreal (May 1st).
Your
division in the UFC is stacked with tough opposition, besides
the arrival of Rogerio Minotouro and the return of Tito Ortiz.
Quinton Jackson is back, too. What will it take to hang on to
that belt?
It
really is a hotly disputed category. Light heavyweight has technical
and fast guys, who are also really strong. There are a lot of
Brazilians at that weight. That makes the category tougher, but
overall everyone gains from that, because the one to be champion
really deserves it. The crowd also gains, because they get to
watch great fights at great events. All I can do is train hard
to keep the belt.
MMA
fighters weren’t interested in karate, but that has changed
a lot, mainly for your results in the UFC…
It’s
proof that arts deserve respect. All of them were created for
real combat. Because of the growth of the sport (karate), the
rules were modified and it lost a bit of its essence as a fight.
We are bringing that back and I don’t consider myself the
only one responsible for that. These days there are a lot of
teachers working on that. All that is of great importance for
karate’s growth.
The
fans love you. How do you deal with the attention?
I’m
happy because it shows not just that the sport is growing, but
that fans’ understanding is, too. It is also due to the
work the specialized media is doing, as it gives us a lot of
support. That is of enormous importance for the sport’s
growth. So this attention can only happen because of all this
work being done to make the sport grow more with every day.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
MIR
SAYS HE'S NOT DISTRACTED BY BROCK LESNAR
by Steven Marrocco
Frank Mir would be lying to the fans if he said he wasn’t
obsessed with a rematch with Brock Lesnar.
The
former heavyweight champion was as devastated as UFC president
Dana White that Lesnar might never fight again.
"To
know that there's a possibility that (a rematch) might never
happen, that's been taking me a couple of days to try and wrap
my mind around," he said at a Q & A for WEC fans last
month.
That
kind of infatuation can lead guys to take their eye off the ball
when it comes to the task at hand – in this case, a match-up
with Kongo at UFC 107 on Saturday.
A
little of Lesnar might have rubbed off on Mir, once the quiet,
introspective fighter, in the build-up to the event. He trashed
Kongo’s skills in the press, prompting Kongo, at Thursday’s
pre-fight press conference for the event, to call him a piece
of you-know-what.
Mir
said his camp and his wife were worried about him taking Kongo
lightly, but he brushed aside those concerns.
“I
am kind of obsessed with the Brock fight,” he said. “But
the advantage of being a somewhat intelligent person, I realize
that if I’m not successful on Saturday, any chances of me
having a fight with Brock are pretty much a forgone conclusion.
“So,
first and foremost, I need to have a fight against Cheik and
be very dominant. Even a close decision really doesn’t move
me that high up on the ladder, when you have Shane Carwin and
Cain Velasquez already out there, who are pretty much at the
top of the food heap when Brock is able to come back and be healthy.”
He
got down to brass tacks about his approach to the French striker.
“There’s
no secret between how we want to fight each other,” Mir
continued. “I do feel confident about my stand-up but he’s
good at stand-up. Why take the chance there? I feel there’s
less of a chance of him choking me out than knocking me out,
so I want to get the fight to the ground.”
Mir
said a pissed-off Kongo was more likely to come forward.
“So
hence, anything I say that fires him up, the better for me,”
he said with a smile.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Scott
Coker Talks Dan Henderson, Dana White and Fedor
by Michael David Smith
Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker says he expects Dan Henderson to
fight for both the middleweight belt and the light heavyweight
belt in 2010. He's just not sure which one will come first.
In
an interview with FanHouse, Coker said he expects the newly signed
Henderson, who was a champion in two weight classes in Pride
and was last seen knocking out Michael Bisping at UFC 100, to
have big fights against both Strikeforce middleweight champion
Jake Shields and Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Gegard
Mousasi. He also responded to criticisms from UFC President Dana
White and talked about what's next for Fedor Emelianenko.
Michael
David Smith: How long have you been working on getting Dan Henderson
signed, and what happened to finally get it done on Monday?
Scott Coker: We've been going back and forth since mid-to-late-October.
We met in Chicago and had a good conversation but that was more
just getting to know you, not anything real specific. Things
got serious just about four or five days ago. His agent said
he wanted to do a deal with Strikeforce and I said, "Let's
do it then."
When
will we see him fight for Strikeforce?
Second quarter of next year.
Why
not sooner?
Our January card in Miami is pretty much already full, and then
February we don't want to go against the Olympics, so I think
the best time is March or April or May. It happened so quickly
over the last couple of days that we haven't had meetings about
it with our matchmaker or anything like that. I just let Showtime
know late [Sunday] night. But we're looking forward to putting
Dan in the cage as soon as we can.
What
role do Showtime and CBS have in negotiating to get a big-name
fighter like Dan?
The first they heard that we were signing Dan was late [Sunday]
night after it was done. They're important partners and we want
them to be happy with the quality of the fights we're putting
on, so we have a lot of dialogue with them about our match-ups
and our fighters, but with a fighter like Dan we knew it wouldn't
be an issue.
I
think the best fight you can make is Henderson against your light
heavyweight champion, Gegard Mousasi. Are you going to make that
fight?
Dan said he'd let me know after Christmas what weight class he
wants to start in. He and Gegard is a natural fight and he against
Jake Shields for our middleweight title is a fight he would want.
So
his first fight will be a title fight against your champion at
either middleweight or light heavyweight?
I think so. He would like to fight in both weight classes.
Do
you think he might win the belt in both weight classes?
It's a possibility.
He's
done it before.
Yeah, I remember watching him knock out Wanderlei Silva to win
his second title in Pride. That was one of the most exciting
fights I've ever seen. Being there in person, it was amazing.
Will
we see Henderson fight Fedor Emelianenko?
That's a question to ask Dan. Fedor's a pretty big guy. I'm sure
Dan wants to challenge himself, but that's a pretty big move
up in weight class.
We've
heard that Henderson was asking for a lot of money. Is he now
your highest-paid fighter?
No.
Is
he your highest paid other than Fedor?
Fedor is the highest-paid athlete in Strikeforce. We have two
other athletes who are getting paid as much as Dan, but I really
can't say any more than that.
When
he beat Michael Bisping at UFC 100 he made a $100,000 base salary,
a $150,000 win bonus and a $100,000 knockout of the night bonus.
Can he make more than $350,000 a fight in Strikeforce?
Well, I can't go into the details but there are a lot of things
that are important to Dan. One is the compensation, but another
was keeping his name and likeness rights, having access to intellectual
property rights. But I'm almost getting too much into the deal,
which I'm not supposed to because there are confidentiality agreements.
The bottom line is that Dan wants to be treated fairly and with
respect and we feel the same.
Dana
White told my colleague Mike Chiappetta that signing Henderson
will actually hurt Strikeforce because Henderson isn't a big
enough draw to justify the money he's commanding. Is there any
truth to that?
Well, I don't want to get into the whole Dana White thing. All
I can say is, how often does a guy like Dan Henderson become
available? He's a main event fighter. Every promotion would like
to have Dan Henderson fight in a main event for them. Main event
fighters are few and far between, and when you get a guy like
Dan, who can contend for titles in two weight classes, it's a
good day for Strikeforce.
Let
me read you something else Dana White said: "They have too
many fighters under contract and not enough events. They can't
keep some of their obligations to fighters already. Either they're
going to start breaching contracts or paying fighters not to
fight. It'll take a lot more than one guy to help them. Their
whole business model is f****d. They're coming after UFC? Yeah,
OK." How do you respond to that?
Come on. I don't even want to respond to that. It doesn't deserve
a response. I'm honored he's so concerned.
Overall,
how are you feeling about this signing?
I really didn't know Dan before we started talking about this
deal. I knew what an amazing athlete he is but I also really
like him and I'm very excited to have him on our roster, and
I think there are a lot of compelling match-ups for him here.
Let's
talk about your December 19 card. How important is that card
for continuing whatever momentum you've built from your CBS card?
I think it's important for us as a company to have great fights
and great ratings. That's somewhat out of a promoter's control,
but you put together the best match-ups you can and you hope
the fights are great and you have great ratings. I think on that
card the fans are going to have a great experience at the HP
Pavilion and I think we've got great fights. Cung Le isn't our
champion anymore but every time he fights it's a special occasion.
And then we're showing fans some great fighters they maybe haven't
seen before like King Mo and Jacare. Those are fighters we're
excited to showcase.
Did
you know when you scheduled the December 19 card that the WEC
was going to have a fight card the same night?
We actually decided we'd do a show on that date about five months
ago. I'm not sure when the WEC set their show but we don't try
to counter-program anybody. That's not something we've done.
We just do the best shows we can do.
You've
got a card in Miami in late January. When will you be ready to
announce some of those fights?
I hope to have some those fights announced by the end of the
week but we don't like to jump the gun because the commission
has to approve them first.
When
will Strikeforce be back on CBS?
We're having dialogue with them now but hopefully the first quarter
of next year.
Will
Dan Henderson's debut be on CBS?
That hasn't been determined.
When
will we see Fedor again?
I'm hoping his thumb will heal and that we'll see him on the
next CBS show.
What
is the status of his thumb injury?
He's getting the pin taken out in a couple of weeks, and he's
still training. He can't spar but he can still do road work and
he's staying in shape, and we'll see him back either first or
second quarter.
Who
will he fight next?
I think Fabricio Werdum and Alistair Overeem are the two guys
I'd name off the top of my head.
You
said after the CBS card that you were a week away from announcing
the signing of some heavyweights. What ever happened to that?
We're still working on it. Give me another week.
When
you acquired the assets of EliteXC, the big name who got away
was Kimbo Slice. Did you watch his fight on Saturday night?
Yeah, I watched it. I think for where he is in his martial arts
learning process he did a good job. Houston's no joke, and it
was a good fight for him.
You're
more charitable than I am in calling it a good fight, but I agree
with you that even going the distance, let alone winning, is
progress for Kimbo.
If you had asked me as a betting man whether he'd make it three
rounds, I would have said no. But I don't think there was any
fighting in the first round -- there was a lot of dancing going
on in the first round. In the second Kimbo took Houston down
and started to show some signs that he can become a martial arts
fighter. But he definitely has a long way to go.
There
was a time when people thought you really needed Kimbo for that
EliteXC deal to be a success. But now, several months later,
are you happy with where Strikeforce is going?
I am. We're excited to get Dan in the mix, and we're going to
have more signings soon. We're continuing to build Strikeforce
as a mixed martial arts company and Dan is a big part of that.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Team
Florian Discusses Changes, Matchup with Guida
by Greg Savage
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- After a disappointing loss to lightweight champion
B.J. Penn at UFC 101, Kenny Florian felt the need to reassess
every facet of his preparation.
He
eventually decided to leave longtime trainer Mark DellaGrotte
and replace him with Firas Zahabi. Florian’s younger brother,
Keith, Zahabi and Peter Welch form the revamped coaching team,
and they sat down with Sherdog.com to discuss the changes that
were made ahead of Florian’s showdown with Clay Guida at
UFC 107 “Penn vs. Sanchez” this Saturday at the FedEx
Forum.
“Bringing
on Firas and having Peter doing the striking, everything is merging
so nicely; it really is,” Keith said. “Everyone has
the same philosophy on things, and everyone is following the
same format, and it’s been a marriage as opposed to anything
else.”
The
younger Florian has taken a lot of the heat for the split between
his brother and the ever-popular DellaGrotte. Though precious
little has been revealed publically, Keith did little to assuage
speculation that there was a rift that eventually ruptured.
“I
think if other people want to say certain things or to wash their
laundry in the media, so to say, then that’s up to them,
but we know exactly what happened and what the truth is and I’m
just going to leave it at that,” he said.
The
newest member of the inner circle, Zahabi, who counts UFC welterweight
champion Georges St. Pierre among his many disciples, played
the just-happy-to-be-here card when asked about working with
Kenny.
“I’m
really happy to come aboard with such a great team; they have
taken him so far already,” Zahabi said. “All I can
do is offer him what I do, what I specialize in and to add and
extra dimension maybe.”
Florian
has characterized Zahabi as a teacher of the fundamentals, which
could come into play against Guida. The grinding wrestler carries
a simple game plan but displays a rare combination of grit and
endurance that could test Florian’s more traditional style.
“The
amazing thing about Clay Guida is he can turn a technical fighter
into an un-technical fighter,” Keith said. “I think
you just need to stay calm and you need to basically frustrate
Clay Guida as much as Clay Guida is trying to frustrate you.”
That
seems easier said than done.
Zahabi
echoed Keith’s sentiments about not wanting to engage in
a sloppy tussle with Guida. Raising concerns about the effectiveness
of the Chicagoan’s wild style, the Montreal-based instructor
spoke warily of Guida’s durability.
“You
can’t get sucked into a street fight, overextend yourself
and then give him a chance to capitalize,” Zahabi said.
“That’s his No. 1 trait -- his durability -- so you
overextend yourself and you think, ‘Oh, I’m winning,
I’m going to go more, I’m going to go 100 miles per
hour.’ Then all [of a] sudden you start to gas out and you
start saying, ‘This guy’s still not dead.’”
Though
cautious, Zahabi remains confident his new charge will prevail.
“That’s
his style; he’s shown that style, and we’re going to
make sure Kenny is ready to beat on him for three rounds, nonstop,
all the way through,” Zahabi said. “But knowing Kenny,
he will probably finish him nonetheless, but not in a rush, not
in a hurried fashion, just in a good pace. And if the finish
comes, it comes, and if not, we have to deal with that, as well.”
Keith
outlined, in simple terms, the strategy his brother will need
to employ at UFC 107.
“[Kenny]
needs to keep his head and make it a technical bout, where I
know -- and everyone else knows -- Kenny can win,” he said.
Source: Sherdog
|
Green
stops Roy Jones Jr. in 1st round
(AP) – Dec 2, 2009
SYDNEY — Australian Danny Green stopped Roy Jones Jr. in
the first round of their IBO world cruiserweight title fight
Wednesday, preventing the 40-year-old American from claiming
his ninth title across five weight classes from middleweight
to heavyweight.
The
36-year-old Green retained his title and improved to 28-3 with
his technical knockout over Jones at the Acer Arena, in the American's
first professional fight on foreign soil in his 20-year career.
It
was only Jones' sixth loss since 1989, along with 54 wins, 40
by knockout.
Green
floored Jones with a right hand to the head after one minute.
Green moved in to apply more pressure, and following a series
of blows, English referee Howard Foster stopped the bout after
just 122 seconds.
Jones
offered no excuses for a defeat which could signal the end of
his career.
"We
don't make excuses, it was a great performance by Danny,"
Jones said.
Green
was almost apologetic for handing such a defeat to one of his
boxing role models.
"He's
one of the greatest fighters of all time and the opportunity
to fight him in Australia, thanks, Roy Jones Jr.," Green
told the crowd.
"I
almost feel bad doing that, that almost hurt me to do that to
someone whom I aspire to look up to as a professional fighter
inside and outside the ring. He's a bloody legend."
After
nearly a one-hour delay following an undercard bout, Jones entered
the arena to mild applause. But Green, with the Australian band
Men at Work's song "Down Under" playing, entered the
ring to an ovation moments later.
"I
didn't surprise myself," said Green.
Green
won the IBO cruiserweight title in Biloxi, Miss., in August with
a victory over Argentina's Julio Cesar Dominguez on the undercard
to Jones' NABO light heavyweight championship win over Jeff Lacy.
Jones
had been stopped just twice in his career, by Antonio Tarver
and Glen Johnson, but Green warned ahead of the fight that he
could end the Sydney fight early.
"I
won't name which punch, but there's one punch, if I hit him clean
with it, he is going to be knocked out for a week," Green
said. "His speed can baffle me, but my power — it can
hospitalize someone. My fists are like bricks."
Green
has never been stopped, although he was knocked down but not
out by Argentina's Omar Gonzalez in 2004.
The
Australian twice lost bids for the WBC super middleweight title
to Markus Beyer — one by disqualification and the other
in a split decision. He retired temporarily in March 2008 before
making a comeback in April this year.
Jones,
who has eight belts across four divisions from middleweight to
heavyweight, was a strong betting favorite.
Green
weighed in at nearly 179 pounds while Jones was at just over
179.
See
the fight here.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Olympic
Wrestler Ben Askren Signs With Bellator
by Michael David Smith
Ben Askren, the aspiring MMA fighter and former NCAA champion
and Olympic wrestler, has signed with the Bellator Fighting Championships.
Askren
will fight in Bellator's welterweight tournament, which begins
in the spring as part of Bellator's new deal with Fox Sports
Net. In a statement, Askren said he's excited about the Fox Sports
deal.
"I
like that my fights are going to broadcast nationally, I like
the tournament-style format and I love the opportunity to be
a part of something exciting and new," Askren said. "I
plan on winning Bellator. My goal, as it always has been, is
to be the best in the world."
Although
Askren is getting married on April 9, the day after Bellator's
Season 2 premiere, he said that won't interfere with his fighting.
"My
fiancé doesn't really like the whole getting punched in
the face thing, but she accepts it and is excited for me to continue
to compete in MMA for Bellator," he said.
Askren
started fighting MMA this year, amassing a 3-0 record fighting
in small shows in Missouri and Iowa. Bellator has not announced
the complete roster of the Season 2 welterweight tournament,
although Dan Hornbuckle is also expected to compete in it. The
winner of the tournament will face Lyman Good, who won last year's
welterweight tournament, in Season 3.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Wilson
Gouveia looking for win and praises Anderson
by Carlos
Eduardo Ozório
Wilson
Gouveia is preparing for his tenth appearance in the Ultimate
Fighting Championship, where he has amassed six wins. This coming
Saturday, December 12, in Tennessee, the Brazilian will face
Alan Belcher at UFC 107. Both are coming off a loss, thus promising
plenty of action.
“Belcher
is super strong, has good Jiu-Jitsu and sharp muay thai. I trained
a lot and, God willing, everything will go well for me,”
he is quoted as saying on the UFC website.
“I
feel this will be a good fight because our styles are similar.
But the fact that we are both coming off losses is further motivation,”
he adds.
Anderson
is the champion because he’s the best, period” Wilson
Gouveia
A
former light heavyweight, Gouveia will fight at middleweight.
The change of division could set him up to face Anderson Silva.
Nevertheless, the American Top Team representative discards a
confrontation with the current champ. At least for the time being.
“I’m
conscious of the fact I’m not ready to face a guy of the
caliber of Anderson Silva. For that reason I’m trying to
improve as a fighter, not just technically, but psychologically
as well,” remarks the Brazilian, who spares no praise for
the current champion.
“It’s
one thing for someone to think he can beat the champion, but
to win is completely different. Anderson is the champion because
he’s the best, period. Of course one day he’ll lose
the belt, but by the time that happens a lot of competitors will
show confidence they can beat him and, when fight time comes,
they won’t be able to accomplish what they promised to,”
he says in finishing.
Check
out the card for UFC 107, headlined by BJ Penn’s title defense
against Diego Sanchez.
UFC
107
December
12
Memphis,
Tennessee
MAIN
CARD
-
B.J. Penn vs Diego Sanchez
-
Cheick Kongo vs Frank Mir
-
Jon Fitch vs Mike Pierce
-
Kenny Florian vs Clay Guida
-
Paul Buentello vs Stefan Struve
PRELIMINARY
FIGHTS
-
Alan Belcher vs Wilson Gouveia
-
Shane Nelson vs Matt Wiman
-
Ricardo Funch vs Johny Hendricks
-
Lucio Linhares vs Rousimar Palhares
-
Edgar Garcia vs DaMarques Johnson
-
Kevin Burns vs T.J. Grant
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Ohio
Athletic Commission bans certain types of shorts for MMA fights
By Zach
Arnold
Ohio
Athletic Commission Bernie Profato
242 Federal Plaza West Suite 405 Executive Director
Youngstown, OH 44503
http://www.aco.ohio.gov
Office:
330-797-2556
Fax: 330-797-2559
State of Ohio
OHIO
ATHLETIC COMMISSION
Reference
Shorts for Mixed martial Arts Events
Flexible
lightweight, non-abrasive, high-tech polymer fused to the inseam
of the fight shorts creates ‘Grip-Zones’ to help secure
finishing holds and counter the slippery effects of sweat.
NO
SLIP PREVENTION OR GRIPPING MATERIAL ON ANY PORTION OF THE FIGHTER’S
SHORTS IS PERMITTED.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
NSAC
Announces WEC 44 Drug Tests Clean
By FCF Staff
The
Nevada State Athletic Commission has announced today that several
fighters that competed on the November 18th World Extreme Cagefighting
card in Las Vegas, Nevada, have all tested negative for drugs
of abuse and performance enhancers.
The
fighters that were tested included Mike Brown, Jose Aldo, Manny
Gamburyan, Shane Roller, Ricardo Lamas, LC Davis, Karen Darabedyan,
Kamal Shalorous and Frank Gomez. None tested positive.
WEC
44 saw Jose Aldo stop Mike Brown in the second round to lay claim
to the promotion’s featherweight championship. The win was
Aldo’s six straight since arriving in the WEC and extended
his record to 16-1.
The
promotion’s next event will take place on December 19th
in Las Vegas and will be headlined by a lightweight tilt between
Donald Cerrone and Ed Ratcliff.
Source: Full Contact Fighter
|
|